Earthquake hits Taiwan: At least 9 killed & 821 hurt as huge 7.7 magnitude quake downs buildings & triggers landslides

AT least nine people have been killed and 821 injured after a huge 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan.

The quake - the nation's strongest in 25 years - sparked tsunami fears, downed buildings and triggered landslides.

Rescuers are battling to save at least 77 people trapped in collapsed buildings after the quake struck just before 8am local time (1am UK time).

Shocking images show buildings slumped to one side and debris strewn across roads in the eastern coastal city of Hualien, close to the epicentre of the quake.

Three hikers were killed in a landslide in Taroko National Park near the offshore epicentre.

In the capital Taipei, tiles fell from roofs and debris rained down from building sites.

Dozens of schools rushed to evacuate their students to sports fields - handing them yellow safety helmets.

Some also covered their heads with textbooks in a bid to shield themselves from falling objects as aftershocks continued.

Traffic along the East Coast was brought to a standstill as landslides and debris hit tunnels and highways, damaging vehicles.

Nine deaths and at least 821 injuries have so far been confirmed.

Many people also fled their homes after Taiwan and Japan issued tsunami alerts.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned a tsunami could strike areas around Okinawa, Miyakojima and Yaeyama Islands.

“Tsunami waves are approaching the coasts. Evacuate as quickly as possible. Waves can hit repeatedly. Continue to evacuate until all warnings are lifted,” the meteorological agency said.

The quake, described as "very shallow", struck 18km south of Taiwan's Hualien city, according to the US Geological Survey.

JMA forecast a tsunami of up to three meters (9.8ft) after the quake hit.

WAVES BEGIN

About half an hour later, it said the first wave of the tsunami was already believed to have arrived on the coasts of Miyako and Yaeyama islands.

A wave of 30cm was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck.

The earthquake was felt across Taiwan, according to the country's Central Weather Administration agency.

It measured 7.7 at the epicentre and around four at its weakest points.

Authorities admitted they had only expected a relatively mild quake of magnitude 4 and did not send out alerts.

Wu Chien Fu, the director of Taipei's Seismology Centre, said: "The earthquake is close to land and it's shallow. It's felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands... it's the strongest in 25 years."

In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan, killing 2,400 people.

SHOCK IMAGES

Photographs show how the quake triggered massive landslides and caused buildings to crumble.

The islandwide train service was suspended, as was subway service in Taipei.

The quake struck on the other side of the island from the capital, but was strong enough to knock items off shelves in the city.

There have been 78 disaster reports so far, according to the New Taipei City Fire Department.

A warehouse in Zhonghe tilted, trapping people inside, but they were immediately rescued. Elsewhere people were trapped in lifts and reported gas leaks.

In January more than 150 powerful tremors had plagued central Japan since New Year's Day - leaving 48 dead, homes destroyed and many without power and stockpiling food.

Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world due to its position in the the "Pacific Ring of Fire" where several tectonic plates meet and grind against each other.

Honshu, Japan's main island and the epicentre of today's quakes, lies at the intersection between Eurasian, Philippine and North American plates.

The country is haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0 magnitude undersea quake off northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011, which triggered a tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people.

New Year's Day was the first time since that fateful day that Japan has issued a major tsunami warning.

The 2011 tsunami also sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan's worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.