An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 has struck off the coast of Taiwan, triggering a tsunami warning in Japan that has forced thousands of people to urgently evacuate.
Taiwanese media has reported that people are trapped inside collapsed buildings in the eastern city of Hualien.
Television images showed homes and offices in Hualien shaken off their foundations, while Taiwan’s electricity operator said 87,000 people across the country are without power.
The strong earthquake – which struck at 7.58am local time (12.58am UK) on Wednesday morning and was felt as far away as Shanghai – is reported locally to have triggered a landslide in eastern Taiwan, though this has not been confirmed by The Telegraph.
It is Taiwan’s most powerful earthquake in 25 years, according to officials.
The quake caused a tsunami, which had been predicted to be up to 3 metres (30ft) high and was expected to reach Japan’s southwestern Okinawa coast.