Today, a devastating magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan. This came after Dutch astronomer Frank Hoogerbitz predicted several days ago, but saw the possibility of the earthquake's strength reaching approximately 5-6 degrees.
Reliable sources announced that Taiwan was shaken at dawn today, as a result of a violent earthquake that struck the country, adding that earthquakes are a widespread phenomenon in the country of Japan, as it is considered one of the countries that witness the most frequent earthquakes in the world. On March 11, 2011, the northeastern coast was hit by an earthquake measuring nine on the Richter scale Celsius, the strongest earthquake to ever shake Japan, in addition to huge tsunami waves.
The sources reported that the earthquake left 4 dead and more than 50 injured, prompting the authorities of Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines to warn residents of coastal areas of the danger of tsunami waves resulting from the earthquake.
The Central Meteorological Administration in Taiwan also reported that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 15.5 kilometers, and its epicenter was about 25 kilometers southeast of Hualien City, eastern Taiwan. The US Geological Survey estimated the earthquake's magnitude at 7.4, while the Japan Meteorological Agency estimated its magnitude at 7.5.
As a result, the Japanese authorities issued orders to evacuate coastal areas near the southern Okinawa Prefecture, after the strong earthquake led to a tsunami warning, and waves are expected to rise to three meters in height on the southwestern coast of Japan at about ten o'clock in the morning.
On the other hand, the Taiwanese authorities warned of the danger of a tsunami in coastal areas through a warning message that residents in Taiwan received via their mobile phones, stating that “the earthquake may lead to a tsunami and affect Taiwan".
In the Japanese capital, Tokyo, the Japanese Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for the southwestern islands near Taiwan, and the Philippine authorities also issued a warning about the danger of rising tsunami waves, and ordered residents of many coastal areas to evacuate.
The sources pointed out that today's Taiwan earthquake is the strongest earthquake to hit the island since 1999, as the last earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 killed about 2,400 people, and destroyed 50,000 buildings completely or partially in one of the worst earthquakes recorded in Taiwan.
