•     An earthquake measuring 7.5 magnitude hit off Taiwan’s eastern coast at 7.58am (23:58 GMT) and was felt in the capital Taipei as well as in southern Japan, eastern China and the Philippines.
•     The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) revised the magnitude to 7.7 from 7.5.
•     Authorities in Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines issued tsunami warnings, which were later lifted.
•     Taiwan’s fire service said at least one person had been confirmed dead and 50 injured with most damage reported in the eastern city of Hualien and its surrounding countryside.

    Taiwan says death toll has risen to four

    Authorities in Taiwan say the number of people known to have died in the earthquake has now risen to four.

    The deaths were all in mountainous Hualien county.

    About 50 people are known to have been hurt.

    Tsai Ing-wen says military will help in earthquake rescue, recovery

    Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has said soldiers will be deployed to help in the earthquake rescue and recovery.

    “The national army will provide support in response to the needs of local governments to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property,” she said in a brief statement posted on Facebook.

    The government has also established a disaster response centre in Hualien.

    More than two dozen buildings collapsed, more than half in Hualien

    At least 26 buildings have collapsed in Taiwan, more than half of them in Hualien County.

    The area is sparsely populated but the main city has a population of more than 100,000 people.

    The fire service says about 20 people are trapped and rescue work is continuing.

    Videos and photos of the damage are being shared on social media.

Beibin Street, Hualien City, Hualien County, eastern Taiwan. #earthquake pic.twitter.com/J9jJIToCxZ

— Focus Taiwan (CNA English News) (@Focus_Taiwan) April 3, 2024