Taiwan's president-elect said rescuing victims trapped under the rubble is the "top priority" after the island experienced its biggest earthquake in at least 25 years on Wednesday (April 3), leaving at least nine dead and more than 800 injured, Reuters reports.
Buildings were seen tilted at precarious angles in the mountainous, sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien where President-elect Lai Ching-te on Wednesday met with rescue officials. Hualien is near the epicentre of the 7.2 magnitude quake which struck just offshore at about 8 a.m. (0000 GMT).
In Japan, the weather agency put the quake's magnitude at 7.7, saying several small tsunami waves reached parts of the southern prefecture of Okinawa, while downgrading its tsunami warning to an advisory. In Philippines, officials warned coastal residents in several provinces to move to higher ground.
Chinese state media said the quake was felt in the southeastern province of Fujian, while a Reuters witness said it was also felt in the commercial hub of Shanghai. Aftershocks could still be felt in Taipei, with more than 50 recorded, weather officials said.
