Taiwan earthquake: Second strong earthquake strikes near Taitung

A collapsed bridge in SE Taiwan after multiple quakes struck the area, including one measuring 6.8 today. Photo / Twitter

A strong earthquake shook much of Taiwan today, toppling at least one building and trapping two people inside and knocking part of a passenger train off its tracks at a station.

The magnitude 6.8 quake was the largest among dozens that have rattled the island's southeastern coast since Saturday evening, when a 6.4 quake struck the same area.

The epicenter was in the town of Chishang at a relatively shallow depth of seven kilometers, Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said.

The 6.8 magnitude quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of seven kilometres near the city of Taitung on the southeastern coast of Taiwan. Photo / USGS

A three-story building with a 7-11 convenience store on the ground floor and residences on the upper ones collapsed in nearby Yuli town, the island's Central News Agency said.

Two were rescued and workers were in communication with two other trapped people.

Photos showed the top two stories sprawled across and onto the other side of a narrow street, with electricity wires pulled down by the building.

Police and firefighters rushed to a bridge collapse on a two-lane road in what appeared to be a rural part of Yuli where one or more vehicles may have fallen off, the Central News Agency said.

A canopy on a platform at Dongli station in Fuli town, which is between Yuli and the quake's epicenter at Chishang, hit a train, leaving three of the cars tilted at an angle, the agency said, citing the railway administration. The shaking was felt at the north end of the island in the capital, Taipei.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for several southern Japanese islands near Taiwan, but later lifted it.

Wow. Another big earthquake in Taiwan. This one was a 6.8 with the epicenter in Taitung County. Even stronger than the 6.4 on Saturday. This video is from Taipei, more than 200 miles from Taitung. pic.twitter.com/5OTLRT55WX

— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) September 18, 2022

Big earthquake in #Taiwan. The damage seems to be serious. Massive #landslides reported in eastern Taiwan due to #Earthquake.#taiwan #earthquake pic.twitter.com/R6VWRFM1Gr

— Dhananjay Mandal (@dhananjaynews) September 18, 2022

Taiwan earthquake pic.twitter.com/78FPsRGGnB

— TIANREN (@COSMOSTianRen) September 18, 2022