Taiwan's eastern coast was jolted by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake on Monday, April 20, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
The tremors were recorded at 9:42 a.m. (9:42 p.m. EST Sunday) around 80 miles southeast of the coast of Keelung, where almost 400,000 people reside. Initially, the tremors were reported to have been recorded at 6.8, but according to NBC News, the USGS has lowered it to a 6.6, and then a 6.4 magnitude. NHK said that residents saw buildings swaying in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.
ABC reported that a four-story building caught fire when its fuse box sparked after the earthquake. A man apparently died in the incident, while another was brought to the hospital for choking under the blaze. Firemen were immediately on the scene to rescue the tenants out of the building, while evacuations took place in other buildings as fears of a gas leak could bring more damages. Several cars remained trapped in the basement.
Meanwhile, following the news of the earthquake, Japan Meterological Agency (JMA) immediately issued a tsunami warning across the southern island chain of Okinawa near Taiwan, advising its residents to "get out of the water and leave the coast immediately." But the same advisory was lifted after an hour when it was confirmed by the agency that the depth of the earthquake was "very shallow."
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in the United States also confirmed that a "destructive tsunami" across the pacific was not going to happen. Japan is highly vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis, as it is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where high tectonic plate activities are usually recorded.
