At least four people were killed and dozens more injured when a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan early Wednesday morning.
The quake, which rocked the island just before 8 a.m. local time, downed buildings in Taiwan’s eastern city of Hualien and caused a small tsunami on the coast of Japan’s Yonaguni island, officials said.
The deaths were reported in Hualien, which was the epicenter of the earthquake — the strongest one to hit Taiwan in 25 years, according to the country’s fire department.
At least 26 buildings collapsed with 20 people trapped inside as rescue efforts are underway, the fire department said.
Shocking footage of the aftermath posted on social media shows massive buildings dramatically leaning on an extreme angle as clouds of dust still hung in the air.
Another clip shows straphangers aboard the Taipei Metro gripping onto poles and their seats as the quake rocked the train car from side to side