A powerful earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter Scale rocked Taiwan's eastern shores on Wednesday, as confirmed by the US Geological Survey (USGS). "Notable quake, preliminary info: M 6.5 - 11 km NE of Hualien City, Taiwan," said the USGS in a post on X. The tremor triggered tsunami alerts in southern Japan.

The epicentre of the temblor was located in the Pacific Ocean, 25.0 kilometres south-southeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 15.5 km, according to the administration's Seismology Center, Central News Agency reported.