Taiwan hit by strongest earthquake in 25 years, 4 deaths reported

Taiwan has been struck by its most powerful earthquake in 25 years, which measured 7.4 in magnitude. Officials have confirmed at least four people have died while rescuers are pulling out people trapped in collapsed buildings, BBC reports.The epicentre is located about 18km south of Taiwan's Hualien city, according to the US Geological Survey. The remote, mountainous region of Hualien was rocked by huge landslides, causing damage which could take weeks to repair, BBC adds.Rescue work is continuing in order to reach people trapped in Hualien as well as other areas in Taiwan. According the National Fire Agency, many people are trapped in tunnels. BBC correspondent in Taipei said bridges in the mountains have collapsed or swept away by landslides.

Wu Chien-fu, director of Taipei's Central Weather Administration's Seismology Center, told the AFP news agency that authorities are not ruling out that "there will be earthquakes with magnitude of 6.5 to 7 in three days which will be relatively close to the land".

Taiwan's official central news agency said the quake was the biggest to hit the island since 1999 when a 7.6 magnitude tremor killed around 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings in one of Taiwan's worst-recorded quakes.