japan to the philippines travel time

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Travel time from Japan to Manila

How long does it really take to fly from Japan to Manila? Here's a sample itinerary for a commercial flight plan. If you want to know the total travel time to reach Manila, you need to include time at the airports. Eventually, you'll be able to customize this itinerary to select other nearby airports and choose your preferred airline.

Tuesday, 2:58 pm :  start in Japan drive for about 37 minutes most airlines recommend you get to the airport at least 60 minutes before your flight, so arrive by 4:00 pm at the latest

3:50 pm :  get your boarding pass and go through TSA security allow enough time for long security lines during busy travel seasons or holidays, and prepare for the wait time

4:20 pm :  arrive at the gate once you're ready to board, you can get something to eat in the airport or just relax near the gate

4:35 pm :  prepare for boarding check your boarding pass for your group number or listen to the gate agent as they announce boarding, some airlines require you to be in the boarding area 10-15 minutes before departure or risk losing your seat

4:50 pm :  board All Nippon Airways Co. flight you can scroll down to view other airlines that fly this route

5:00 pm :  this is your scheduled departure time but remember flights can be delayed, so take that into account it takes the plane an average of 15 minutes to taxi to the runway

5:15 pm :  wheels up! take-off from MMJ fly for about 4 hours in the air

8:22 pm (local time) :   Ninoy Aquino International (MNL) Manila is 1 hour behind Japan so the time in Japan is actually 9:22 pm taxi on the runway for an average of 15 minutes to the gate

8:37 pm (local time) :  arrive at the gate at MNL deboard the plane, and claim any baggage if you're renting a car, check if you need to take a shuttle to car rental agency, otherwise you can ride in a cab, limo, or Uber for about 21 minutes to your destination

8:58 pm (local time) :  arrive in Manila

Total travel time: 7 hours

How far is Manila from Japan? Here's the quick answer if you have a private jet and you can fly in the fastest possible straight line.

Flight distance: 1,811 miles or 2914 km

Flight time: 4 hours, 7 minutes

Compare this to a whole day of commercial travel with the airports and waiting in line for security, which ends up taking a total of 7 hours .

Flying private is roughly 1.8x faster , and saves you about 3 hours in your total travel time.

Because of the curvature of the Earth, the shortest distance is actually the "great circle" distance, or "as the crow flies" which is calculated using an iterative Vincenty formula. For a long distance, this appears as a curve on the map, and this is often the route that commercial airlines will take so it's a good estimate of the frequent flyer miles you'll accumulate as well.

This is a medium length flight, so unless you have a nice private jet, you might be booking a commercial flight. In that case, your travel time would really need to include how many minutes to get to your local airport, wait for security, board and taxi on the runway, land at the other airport, and get to your destination. The flight itinerary at the top of the page takes into account all these factors to get a more accurate estimate of your actual flight time .

• Ninoy Aquino International Airport

The most common route is MMJ to MNL, so that's what we used in the sample itinerary. However, you may want to explore travel alternatives, you could try one of these routes:

• NRT to MNL Narita International to Ninoy Aquino International
• NGO to MNL Chubu Centrair International to Ninoy Aquino International
• HND to MNL Tokyo International to Ninoy Aquino International
• KIX to MNL Kansai International to Ninoy Aquino International
• MMJ to MNL Matsumoto Airport to Ninoy Aquino International

We picked All Nippon Airways Co. for your main flight, but there are other airlines that you should check if you're looking for the cheapest flight, or you need a different schedule. Check the websites of these airlines:

• All Nippon Airways Co. (NH)
• Japan Air Lines Co. Ltd. (JL)

Trippy has a ton of information that can help you plan your trip to Manila, Philippines. Start by reading the Trippy page on where to stay in Manila . If you're looking for a place to stay, you might want to check out Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila . Trippy members can suggest things to do in Manila like Bonifacio Global City . Check out some of the questions people have asked about Manila like Beaches driving distance from Manila? Click the button below to explore Manila in detail.

The distance is the same either way if you're flying a straight line. But for a real trip, there can be plenty of differences so go ahead and check the reverse flight itinerary to fly from Manila to Japan , or go to the main page to calculate other flight times .

If you happen to know Japan, don't forget to help other travelers and answer some questions about Japan!

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Don't Forget These Travel Requirements Before Your Trip to Japan

Finally, the 'good news' that we have all been waiting for — Japan's full reopening!

There’s bound to be crowds of tourists that will soon be flocking to the top sights of the country. And before that happens, why not take this time to start planning your long-awaited Japan getaway?

This coming winter, for instance, you can check out the dreamy landscapes of Hokkaido and Gifu. Otherwise, the spring season is perfect for hanami (flower viewing) in places like Kyoto, Nagano, and Tokyo among many others!

Now it may seem daunting to prepare all the needed travel requirements but thankfully, restrictions have been significantly eased. In order to make the most of your time, the following are the essential travel requirements that you need to fulfill before your much-awaited Japan trip.

If you're not a citizen on the list of 68 countries that have been granted visa-free privileges, then you need to apply for a Japan tourist visa before your entry to the country.

If you're a Filipino citizen, you can check out this detailed Japan tourist visa guide that will help you make the most of your visa application.

Booked Roundtrip Flight Ticket

This comes as a given, especially when your Japan visa application has been accepted. Do take note though that most airlines and immigration personnel may ask for your booked roundtrip flight ticket as well.

Such a document is deemed imperative because it helps prove in some way that you won't be overstaying; so make sure that you have this additional document ready.

Confirmed Place of Stay & Other Personal Documents

No matter if it’s a residence or hotel accommodation in Japan, it is vital that you have its name or address ready. Along with this, you should also prepare proof of your rootedness in your home country in case the immigration staff asks for it as well — examples are your Certificate of Employment, Land Titles, Business Registration, etc.

All of these documents, which may seem unnecessary at first, will definitely help facilitate a smooth entry process on your part, guaranteed!

Visit Japan Web’s QR Codes

You are also required  to have your own individual QR code. This can be acquired through Visit Japan Web's website.

This will basically fast track you through various procedures such as quarantine, immigration, and customs declaration.

To register, simply visit this link — rest assured, a guide for filling out the registration can be found on Visit Japan Web's homepage .

Once you arrive in Japan, you can simply show this assigned QR code at each procedure (quarantine, immigration, and customs) either through the screen of your phone or through a printed version.

Valid Vaccination Certificate

To further ensure a swift entry into Japan, it is a must for you to present your vaccination card or certificate showing that you have completed 3 vaccine doses. If you don’t have this document yet, get a valid vaccination certificate from either VaxCertPH or the Bureau of Quarantine.

If this is not applicable to you, what you’ll need to show is a negative test certificate within 72 hours of flying to Japan. To ensure that such a certificate is valid for entry, you should see this checklist that enumerates the complete list of things that need to be seen on your test document.

I hope this list of essential travel requirements will help facilitate a hassle-free welcome for you at the borders of Japan. After all, the last thing that you want is to be turned away at the immigration counter when you are already so close to the wonders that the country holds!

About the author

Aileen Adalid is the founder of iAmAileen.com , an award-winning luxury travel and lifestyle blog. Born in the Philippines, Aileen left her investment banking career at the young age of 21 to pursue her dreams of traveling the world and developing a new career as a digital nomad. Fast forward to today, in addition to being a successful travel blogger and vlogger who has visited all 7 continents, Aileen has also been featured in various publications such as the National Geographic, Time, BBC Travel, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, and Business Insider among many others. Because of this and more, Aileen has a dedicated following that follows her adventures and recommendations while she continues to travel around the globe.

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Find cheap flights from Japan to the Philippines from ₱5,876

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a kayak user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from japan to the philippines departing on 5/9. fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. click the price to replicate the search for this deal., search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to the philippines.

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Faqs for booking flights from japan to the philippines, how does kayak find such low prices on flights from japan to the philippines.

KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Japan to the Philippines.

How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Japan to the Philippines?

KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to the Philippines from Japan is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Japan to the Philippines?

Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to the Philippines with an airline and back to Japan with another airline.

What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Japan to the Philippines?

Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to the Philippines from Japan up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

Top 5 airlines serving from Japan to the Philippines

I’m 6’2” and the seats were too close together for my knees, very uncomfortable.

So far pal express is much better than Cebu pacific in terms of customers service and in flight crew. And on time departure and arrival . Especially if you're taking airbus 320 plane . But the small aircraft like bombardier . It usually delayed .

The return flight has been a nightmare. I am stuck in Singapore right now because PAL has not managed to resolve my return to Manila. The engine blew up on take off

Everything could better always late always rescheduled flight is worse and costs me a hotel room! The dirtiest planes I’ve ever flown on slowest to board . Just awful will never fly again with them

Boarded the plane last even while I was seated at the back and had to have my bag separate. The same exact special request meal was served as the flight an hour beforehand

The food was ordinary, this could be improved. Sleeping was comfortable enough for several hours sleep. The layover time in Manila Mabuhay lounge for 17 hours was awful. Surely I could have been given a flight to Perth within that time on another airline. At 74 years of age I find that far too long and stressful and will probably not travel with Philippine Airlines again for that reason. The food offering on board and in the lounge was also a little underwhelming. The crew were wonderful and the flight comfort was good also.

I paid for an aisle seat on my booking but for my return flight back in the US I was ina middle seat. I didnt realize this until i was already on the plane.

The flight itself was ok. However, the plane has 2 bathrooms for about 200 people. After the meal service there was a line between 10-15 people deep standing in the aisle waiting to use the bathroom. This went on for over an hour. The airlines tell us safety is their priority and to keep seatbelts on whenever on the plane but they allow a line of people to stand in the aisle for over an hour waiting for a bathroom. Absurd and unacceptable.

Flight delayed by hour for departure. No real announcements or updates until told to start boarding

I’ve had previous bad experiences with Philippine Airlines so i was pleasantly surprised with the vast improvement in comfort, service and food quality.

The seats are very uncomfortable just was not a pleasant experience

my flight was cancelled an hour before departure and i have not received a refund yet.

A child behind me was kicking my seat and the cabin attendant noticed and kindly asked me if I’d like to switch to a different available seat. Really nice.

The flight crew was very nice. Had a bit of a hiccup on my end when I checked in flying from Tokyo to Sapporo but the staff was very helpful. Definitely enjoyed both flights.

There was no social distancing on the plane. Lots of people sneezing, etc so the coronavirus measures they are taking are not adequate. Very uncomfortable flight. Also hard to get customer service support by phone in English.

Nice service. I wish it could provide hot water on the flight.

internet didn't work. No offer of drinks or snacks.

Flight was seamless. Free wifi helped pass the time. Food was okay, just make sure you pre order or pick something up from the airport

Internet connection very poor, means you can not even order items through their own shop.

Paid for business class lay flat seat. Significantly less comfortable than other carriers. No built in entertainment or WiFi. I barely saw flight attendants at all and they wanted to charge me for a bottle of water if i wanted more than what came with the meal (that i also paid extra for). Essentially you’re just paying for a slightly more comfortable seat than the rest of the plane and nothing else

Een prijsvechter, dus dat moet je ook verwachten. Voor alles moet je betalen. We hebben vooraf een maaltijd en een amenitiesset besteld. Die kregen we netjes uitgereikt aan boord. Het is BYOD voor het amusement tijdens de vlucht en dit werkte uitstekend. Geen trage wifi, helemaal niet. Alles kost geld, zelfs een flesje water. Misschien op langere vluchten wel gratis water, thee, koffie. Maar daarentegen mag je na de security je lege drinkflessen gewoon vullen en mee aan boord nemen

Wifi could have been better. Arrived 55 mins earlier than scheduled :)

Best part are two crying babies throughout the whole 11 hour trip

Clean and comfortable cabin. Friendly on board service. No vegetarian food options and movie options were very limited. Internet was very slow

I didn’t eat the food but there wasn’t an option. Seat was a little too small for me but everything else was great

better handling of the checked in luggage. they destroyed mine

Should’ve not separated those who checked-in online and those who checked-in at the airport

the process of paying for the excess baggage weight, the check in process and the boarding process are subhuman. this is an airline devoid of customer service

Cebu Pac has a habit of changing boarding gates. They do a lot of remote boarding. So just be attentive to the announcements, especially if it's near your boarding time.

It was a low cost flight, so no high expectations. The experience was average.

Crew was very helpful because I used a wheelchair to get around

Flight was delayed for almost 30 minutea, I had difficulties to catch up the connecting flight. Bit due to tje well organized Singapore airport I was able to make it

The flight was delayed for 3 hours and I missed my transit flight.

Was denied early boarding for a hot seat row 1C. I asked gate attendant why I couldn’t I board as I paid extra for that seat and it’s privileges that come from purchasing it. and she said no that Cebu Pacific does not allow it. When I boarded plane finally I had nowhere to put my bag as the seats behind me had taken my overhead area. The flight attendant said that the gate attendant was wrong. I fly a lot in the philippines and to Japan and now I have no choice but to fly with Air Asia. At least they board with zones and allow rows 1-3 to board early.

I was rebook by the other airpott because of the delayed flight

The flight was delayed by an hour . Traveling with 75 year old father was difficult and then when he asked for water he was asked to purchase :-) . Overall just an ok experience.

Overall service is good, the only thing I would like airasia to improve is there seating. Their seat handles are broken as well as the back rest

Boarding with air asia is excellent via organized lines by zone except when there is only 1 gate agent and no scanner, only by tearing tickets??? Crazy

The flight was supposed to depart at 9:25. It departed at 9:00. Im glad we were early and did not miss it.

They wouldn't even allow us to bring water from the fountain on board the aircraft.

Premium seats should have legroom this one didn't have it. I had 2 free checked bag but I got charged for while it shows on my reservation

Terrible airline! This airline just ruined our family vacation due to a 12 hours delay as a result of their operational issues.

Too many flight delays. Airport terminal serving Boracay needs upgrades.

Over 6 hours delayed.. using philippine air fleet planes are beat up dirty and uncomfortable. Have been flying air asia for over 4 years from Manila to Tokyo and kansai as well as several local flights from Manila to Bacolod and Cebu.. 3 planes were down for maintenance and caused havoc.. need to invest in new fleet or seriously clean and upgrade the existing fleet. Will not be flying anymore until fixed. Several options out there now to choose from as air asia prices have skyrocketed.. no point in using them anymore . Severally upset passenger here. They can’t even manage the queuing of Zones for boarding as it’s a crab fest free for all now. No discipline and let the passengers in line to board just run into any lane possible.. and priority luggage?? Forget it I’ve paid for it for the last 6 flights and never got it first.. air asia has turned into a expensive joke.. use Cebu pacific or zip air now..

We had three flight delays before eventually taking off 3 hours late. Inflight service was very limited, but it was a relatively short flight. Luggage was delivered promptly.

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Taiwan earthquake: search for survivors continues into night after nine people killed in quake – as it happened

This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest full report below:

• Nine dead and hundreds injured amid landslides and collapsed buildings
• 4d ago Closing summary
• 4d ago Rescue operations continue into the night, with more than 100 people still trapped
• 4d ago Summary
• 5d ago Nine die and nearly 900 injured in quake, say fire agency
• 5d ago Death toll rises to nine
• 5d ago Death toll rises to seven
• 5d ago Summary of events so far
• 5d ago At least four killed in earthquake
• 5d ago 26 buildings reported "to tilt or collapse"
• 5d ago Philippines cancels tsunami warning
• 5d ago Key points
• 5d ago Japan lifts all tsunami advisories
• 5d ago Reports of 1 dead, 50 injured - Taiwan fire department
• 5d ago Pacific tsunami warning centre says threat passed
• 5d ago Japan tsunami alert downgraded to advisory
• 5d ago 87,000 in Taiwan without power
• 5d ago Aftershocks reported in Taipei
• 5d ago Worst quake since 1999 - Taiwan central weather bureau
• 5d ago Philippines tsunami warning relates to coastal areas
• 5d ago Magnitude revised up - JMA
• 5d ago 10,000 households without power - reports
• 5d ago Epicentre reported as 25km southeast of Hualien
• 5d ago Reports computer chip factory partially evacuated
• 5d ago Reports of damage to houses and water towers - Taiwan
• 5d ago Internet outages reported in Taiwan
• 5d ago Taiwan reports people trapped in buildings - local media
• 5d ago Philippines warns of high tsunami waves
• 5d ago Japan's national broadcaster issues evacuation warning
• 5d ago First images out of Taiwan emerge
• 5d ago Earthquake felt in China - reports
• 5d ago Taiwan reports collapsed buildings
• 5d ago Philippines issues tsunami warning
• 5d ago Japan issues tsunami advisory
• 5d ago Welcome and opening summary

Rescue operations continue into the night, with more than 100 people still trapped

Rescue operations continue into the night as more than 100 people remain trapped in tunnels and in collapsed buildings around Hualien county, near the epicentre of the 7.2-magnitude quake.

About 70 people trapped in tunnels near Hualien city have been evacuated, Taiwan’s national fire agency said.

But authorities lost contact with 50 workers aboard our minibuses heading to a hotel in the Taroko Gorge national park, it said.

At least 64 people were trapped in one rock quarry, and six in another, the fire agency said.

Closing summary

It’s 1am in Taipei. Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

At least nine people have been killed and more than 900 injured in Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years, which caused buildings to collapse, power outages and landslides on the island.

The quake, which started at 7.58am on Wednesday, struck about 18km south-southwest of Hualien , a city popular with tourists on Taiwan’s eastern coast, and was given a magnitude of 7.2 by Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency and 7.4 by the US.

More than 100 people remain trapped in tunnels and in collapsed buildings. The fire agency said 64 people were trapped in one coalmine, and six in another, while rescue workers had lost contact with 50 people who were travelling in minibuses through a national park as the earthquake wiped out phone networks.

Nearly 1,000 tourists and staff were stranded in mountains of Taroko national park in Hualien. Local media reported that three hikers and one driver died after rockslides in the park.

In Hualien city, all residents and businesses in buildings that were in a dangerous state had been evacuated, the mayor Hsu Chen-wei said. Rescuers worked across Hualien county, looking for people who may be trapped and using excavators to stabilize damaged buildings.

In the capital, Taipei, several people were rescued from a partly collapsed warehouse . Strong tremors forced the city’s subway system to close briefly, and damage was visible on some buildings in central Taipei. Aftershocks could still be felt in the capital, with more than 50 recorded, weather officials said.

The quake triggered initial tsunami warnings in southern Japan and the Philippines, but forecasts were later downgraded and lifted. Japan’s meteorological agency warned that aftershocks, with a similar intensity to those felt in Taiwan, may be likely over the next week.

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan on Wednesday was captured by the cameras in a newsroom during a live broadcast.

As the quake hit, anchors on air carried on delivering the news while the studio was visibly shaken and lights swayed violently overhead.

Taiwan’s president-elect and vice-president, Lai Ching-te, has thanked the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, for his support and condolences.

Posting to social media, Lai wrote:

Taiwan draws strength from your solidarity & friendship during this difficult time and deeply appreciates the support from the EU.

Thank you, @CharlesMichel , for your generous support and condolences. Taiwan draws strength from your solidarity & friendship during this difficult time and deeply appreciates the support from the EU. https://t.co/udxdZ6cHE1 — 賴清德Lai Ching-te (@ChingteLai) April 3, 2024

The US is monitoring the earthquake in Taiwan and is “ready to provide any necessary assistance”, a US national security council spokesperson has said.

A statement from NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson reads:

We are monitoring reports of the earthquake impacting Taiwan and continue to monitor its potential impact on Japan. The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance. All those affected are in our prayers.

One reporter in Taiwan who was heading north towards Hualien after dark on Wednesday evening local time, came across huge holes in the road caused by the earthquake from that morning.

Nathaniel Taplin posted footage moments ago.

Road into #Hualien getting knarlier as we get closer from Taitung pic.twitter.com/8iNs3KK2jK — Nathaniel Taplin (@nate_taplin) April 3, 2024

Meanwhile TV channel TVBS posted a clip of rescue workers trying to clear debris in Hualien, where the earthquake hit hardest.

🚨🇹🇼 Rescue efforts continue following 7.2 quake in #Hualien , #Taiwan : 9 dead, 946 injured, 137 trapped in mountainous regions. #TaiwanEarthquake 💔🙏 pic.twitter.com/gahRjpN359 — TVBS World Taiwan (@tvbsworldtaiwan) April 3, 2024

One person caught up in the earthquake described watching a warehouse crumple like a house of cards on Wednesday and told the Agence France-Presse agency it “was like a mountain collapsed”.

And that was in New Taipei City, near the capital, Taipei, almost 190 miles (300km) from the hardest hit area of Hualien in east central Taiwan .

The witness, named by AFP only as Liu, watched intently as rescuers carefully picked their way through the remains of the warehouse.

Propping ladders against the debris, the rescue workers managed to pluck more than 50 survivors from the destroyed building in New Taipei City. The building was about 60 years old and had housed a printing press, said Liu, who lived next door.

Residents of nearby buildings appeared to be unaffected, though they felt the intense shaking from the morning quake.

Many of the decorations at home fell on the floor, but people were safe. We were very lucky,” said Chang, who lives near the printing press.

New Taipei City mayor Hou Yu-ih surveyed the scene with rescue workers, and told reporters that all 57 people in the building had made it out - with just one injured.

It has just passed 11pm in Taipei and Hualien.

Here is a quick summary of some of the key events so far today:

At least nine people are now reported to have been killed in Taiwan’s earthquake. At least another 900 have been injured.

The earthquake struck at 7:58 am local time , about 18km south-southwest of Hualien. It was about 35 km (21 miles) deep, according to Associated Press

Taiwan’s electricity operator – Taipower- has said more than 87,000 people across the country are now without power, according to the Reuters news agency.

People are trapped in collapsed buildings in Taiwan’s city of Hualien according to local media and the local government has suspended schools and classes in the region.

A witness has told the Reuters news agency that the earthquake was also felt in Shanghai, China. Chinese state media also reported that it was felt in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Ningde in China’s Fujian province.

At least 64 people were trapped in one rock quarry , not a coalmine as was previously reported, and six in another, the fire agency said.

Authorities also lost contact with 50 people in minibuses after a powerful earthquake quake downed phone networks, Taiwan’s national fire agency said.

The Philippines seismology agency has issued a tsunami warning as well after that strong Taiwan quake, with Philippine coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean expected to experience “high tsunami waves”, according to the Reuters news agency. The tsunami warning issued by the Philippine authorities relates to people in coastal areas of the following provinces: the Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and Isabela.

The Philippines’ seismology agency later cancelled its tsunami warning, saying “based on available data of our sea level monitoring stations facing the epicentral area , no significant sea level disturbances have been recorded since 07:58am up until this cancellation.”

Japan’s national broadcaster has issued an evacuation order – broadcasting warnings such as “Tsunami is coming. Please evacuate immediately,” an anchor on NHK said. “Do not stop. Do not go back”. This was later downgraded to advisory as the tsunami waves that had arrived by late morning were not as high as forecast.

A tsunami advisory has been issued in southern Japan after a powerful earthquake struck near Taiwan on Wednesday morning, according to Japan’s meteorological agency (JMA). This was later lifted.

Here are some more pictures showing the damage caused by the earthquake:

At least 64 people were trapped in one rock quarry, not a coalmine as was previously reported, and six in another, the fire agency said. The quake and aftershocks also caused 24 landslides and damage to 35 roads, bridges and tunnels, AP reports.

Here is the latest report from our video team on the earthquake in Taiwan . Footage released by the fire department there shows emergency personnel walking through dark corridors while going door to door and calling out to residents.

According to a report from Associated Press, Taiwan’s national fire agency appears to have confirmed that 70 miners are trapped in two coalmines in Hualien County after the earthquake.

Sixty-four people were trapped in one coalmine, and six people were in a different mine, AP reports the agency said.

More details soon …

Here is a clip of CCTV footage which shows a multi-storey building collapsing on a busy street in Hualien as Taiwan was hit by its strongest earthquake in 25 years.

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‘People were screaming’: Hualien residents in shock after Taiwan earthquake

Taiwan 7.2 magnitude earthquake – in pictures

Taiwan earthquake: nine dead and 900 injured as buildings collapse

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Fierce earthquake rattles Taiwan, killing 9 and injuring more than 1,000

Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in nearly 25 years rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, leaving seven people dead. Damage was reported around the island but tsunami threats in Taiwan and Japan were later lifted. Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency gave the magnitude as 7.2 while the U.S. put it at 7.4.

Taiwan’s Vice-President viewed the damage caused by the earthquake in Hualien City on Wednesday. The quake, which killed at least nine people and injured hundreds, was centered off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed.

Emergency services on Wednesday continued rescue operations at the scene of a partially collapsed building at the epicentre of Taiwan’s earthquake zone in Hualien City. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in nearly 25 years has so far caused the deaths of at least nine people. The quake, which also injured hundreds, was centred off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed.

Emergency services were on Wednesday carrying out rescue operations at the scene of a partially collapsed building at the epicentre of Taiwan’s earthquake zone in Hualien City. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in nearly 25 years has so far caused the deaths of at least nine people. The quake, which also injured hundreds, was centred off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed. (AP video by Johnson Lai)

Owner and her dogs woken up by tremors as Taiwan hit by strongest quake in nearly 25 years

Rescue workers stand near the site of a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, Taiwan, on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

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In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (TVBS via AP)

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on Japanese islands. (TVBS via AP)

Rescue workers stand near the site of a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

Passengers wait to board a south bound train as some train services were suspended in the aftermath of an earthquake in Taipei, Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)

In this photo released by the Taiwan Air Force Command, members of a search and rescue team prepare to deploy on a Taiwan Air Force C-130 from southern Taiwan’s Pingtung military air base en route for Hualien on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways. (Taiwan Air Force Command via AP)

In this photo released by the Hualien City Government, a leaning building is cordoned off in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (Hualien City Government via AP)

In this photo released by the National Fire Agency, members of a search and rescue team prepare outside a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (National Fire Agency via AP)

In this photo released by the National Fire Agency, members of a search and rescue team look for victims inside a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (National Fire Agency via AP)

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, residents rescue a child from a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (TVBS via AP)

In this photo released by the National Fire Agency, members of a search and rescue team prepare to enter a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush Wednesday, damaging buildings and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. (National Fire Agency via AP)

People walk along a sidewalk by a TV showing a breaking news on tsunami for Okinawa region and Earthquake damage in Taiwan Wednesday, April 3, 2024, in Tokyo. Japan issued tsunami alerts Wednesday after a strong quakes near Taiwan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Rescue workers stand near the site of a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

A rescue worker stands near the cordoned off site of a leaning building in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

HUALIEN, Taiwan (AP) — The strongest earthquake in a quarter-century rocked Taiwan Wednesday morning, killing nine people, stranding dozens at quarries and a national park, and sending some residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings.

The quake, which injured more than 1,000, struck just before 8 a.m. and was centered off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County , where some buildings leaned at severe angles, their ground floors crushed. Just over 150 kilometers (93 miles) away in the capital of Taipei, tiles fell from older buildings, and schools evacuated students to sports fields as aftershocks followed.

Rescuers fanned out in Hualien, looking for people who may be trapped and using excavators to stabilize damaged buildings. The numbers of people missing, trapped or stranded fluctuated as authorities learned of more in trouble and worked to locate or free them.

Some 70 workers who were stranded at two rock quarries were safe, according to Taiwan’s national fire agency, but the roads to reach them were damaged by falling rocks. Six workers were going to be airlifted on Thursday.

In the hours after the quake, TV showed neighbors and rescue workers lifting residents, including a toddler, through windows and onto the street. Some doors had fused shut in the shaking.

Strongest earthquake in 25 years rocks Taiwan, killing 9 people and trapping 70 workers in quarries

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports on a strong earthquake in Taiwan.

Taiwan is regularly jolted by quakes and its population is among the best prepared for them. But authorities expected a relatively mild earthquake and did not send out alerts. The eventual quake was strong enough to scare even people who are used to such shaking.

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a man checks a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, April 3, 2024.(TVBS via AP)

“I’ve grown accustomed to (earthquakes). But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake,” said Hsien-hsuen Keng, who lives in a fifth-floor apartment in Taipei. ”I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before.”

At least nine people died in the quake, according to Taiwan’s fire agency. Most of the fatalities were caused by falling rocks, including four people who were struck inside Taroko National Park, according to the state Central News Agency. One died in a residential building that was damaged, the news agency said.

A small tsunami washed ashore on southern Japanese islands but caused no damage.

At least 1,011 people were reported injured. Authorities initially lost contact with 50 hotel employees in minibuses in the park after the quake downed phone networks; three employees walked to the hotel, while the others remained stranded. About two dozen tourists were also stranded in the park, the state news agency said.

The quake and aftershocks caused many landslides and damaged roads, bridges and tunnels. The national legislature, a converted school built before World War II, and sections of the main airport in Taoyuan, just south of Taipei, also saw minor damage.

Hualien Mayor Hsu Chen-wei said 48 residential buildings were damaged in the city, which shares a name with the county. Hsu said water and electricity supplies were in the process of being restored.

Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency said the quake was 7.2 magnitude while the U.S. Geological Survey put it at 7.4. It struck about 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Hualien and was about 35 kilometers (21 miles) deep. Multiple aftershocks followed.

Traffic along the east coast was at a virtual standstill after the earthquake, with landslides and falling debris hitting tunnels and highways. Train service was suspended across the island of 23 million people, with some tracks twisted by the stress of the quake, as was subway service in Taipei, where sections of a newly constructed elevated line split apart but did not collapse.

The initial panic quickly faded on the island, which prepares for such events with drills at schools and notices issued via public media and mobile phone. Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, said Taiwan’s readiness is among the most advanced in the world and includes strict building codes and a world-class seismological network.

By noon, the metro station in the busy northern Taipei suburb of Beitou was again buzzing with people commuting to jobs and people arriving to visit the hot springs or travel the mountain paths at the base of an extinct volcano.

The earthquake was felt in Shanghai and provinces along China’s southeastern coast, according to Chinese media. China and Taiwan are about 160 kilometers (100 miles) apart.

People evacuate to higher ground after a tsunami warning following a powerful earthquake in Naha, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, April 3, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami of 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck. Smaller waves were measured in Ishigaki and Miyako islands. All alerts in the region had been lifted by Wednesday afternoon.

Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.

Hualien was last struck by a deadly quake in 2018 that killed 17 people and brought down a historic hotel. Taiwan’s worst quake in recent years struck on Sept. 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, causing 2,400 deaths, injuring around 100,000 and destroying thousands of buildings.

The economic fallout from the quake has yet to be calculated. Taiwan is the leading manufacturer of the world’s most sophisticated computer chips and other high-technology items that are highly sensitive to seismic events. Parts of the electricity grid were shut down, possibly leading to disruptions in the supply chain and financial losses.

Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC , which supplies semiconductors to companies such as Apple, said it evacuated employees from some of its factories in Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei. Hsinchu authorities said water and electricity supplies for all the factories in the city’s science park were functioning as normal.

Bodeen and Mistreanu reported from Taipei, Taiwan. Associated Press journalists Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, Lorian Belanger in Bangkok, Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, and Fu Ting and Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report.

This story has been updated to correct that the 70 people stranded are in rock quarries, not coal mines.

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Taiwan 7.2 earthquake updates: At least nine dead, hundreds injured

Buildings collapse in Hualien, as multiple aftershocks reported in Taipei.

This live page is now closed.

• An earthquake measuring 7.2 magnitude hit off Taiwan’s eastern coast at 7:58am (23:58 GMT) and was felt in the capital Taipei as well as in southern Japan, eastern China and the Philippines.
• At least nine people have been confirmed dead and more than 900 injured with the worst damage reported in the eastern city of Hualien and the mountainous countryside surrounding it. Dozens of people are trapped.
• The earthquake was the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years.
• Authorities in Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines issued tsunami warnings, which were later lifted.

That’s all from us today

Thank you for joining us for updates on the deadly earthquake that rocked Taiwan this morning.

You can read our up-to-date news story here , and our explainer here .

Here’s a quick recap

We’ll be closing this live page soon, so let’s remind you of what happened today:

• A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck at almost 8am off Taiwan’s eastern coast at a depth of 15.5km (9.6 miles).
• The epicentre was about 25km (15.5 miles) southeast of Hualien.
• The quake, the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years, was followed by several strong aftershocks, including one of magnitude 6.5.
• Several buildings in Hualien were severely damaged.
• At least nine people have been confirmed dead and more than 900 injured.
• Rescue efforts are under way to save more than 100 people trapped in tunnels or buildings, all in the area around the city of Hualien.

Taiwan, an island living with quakes

About 2,000 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4 or greater have hit Taiwan and its surrounding waters since 1980, according to the United States Geological Survey.

More than 100 of those measured a magnitude above 5.5.

“This high level of seismic activity will unfortunately continue for millions of years to come,” said Stephen Gao, the seismologist.

“This underscores the importance of preparedness and resilience in the face of ongoing seismic risks,” he told AP.

How do earthquakes happen?

How well-equipped is Taiwan to deal with earthquakes?

The quake measuring magnitude 7.2 has damaged several buildings in Hualien but caused only minor damage in Taipei despite being strongly felt there.

It struck in the middle of the morning rush hour yet only slightly derailed the regular commute. Shortly afterwards, parents were again seen walking their children to school and workers driving to offices.

“Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness is among the most advanced in the world,” Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, told AP. “The island has implemented strict building codes, a world-class seismological network and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety.”

The government continually revises the level of quake resistance required of new and existing buildings and offers subsidies to residents willing to check the quake resistance of their buildings.

After a 2016 earthquake in Tainan on the island’s southwestern coast, five people involved in the construction of a 17-storey apartment building that was the only major structure to collapse, killing dozens of people, were found guilty of negligence and given prison sentences.

Taiwan also is pushing quake drills at schools and workplaces while public media and cellphones regularly carry notices about quake safety.

“These measures have significantly enhanced Taiwan’s resilience to earthquakes, helping to mitigate the potential for catastrophic damage and loss of life,” Gao said.

What to know about deadly quake

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Explainers have put together a piece containing all you should know about the earthquake that has rocked Taiwan.

Read it here .

Who are some of the victims?

Of the nine people confirmed dead so far, three were hikers who were killed in rockslides in Taroko National Park, which is in Hualien county.

Authorities said the three, who were part of a group of seven on an early-morning hike through the hills that surround the city, were crushed to death by boulders loosened by the earthquake, officials said.

Separately, the drivers of a truck and a car died when their vehicles were hit by tumbling boulders, while another man died at a mine.

No stranger to powerful quakes

Taiwan is located along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, the horseshoe-shaped line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.

The area is particularly vulnerable to temblors due to the tension accumulated from the interactions of two tectonic plates, the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate, which may lead to sudden releases in the form of earthquakes.

The region’s mountainous landscape can magnify the ground shaking, leading to landslides.

Several such landslides occurred on Taiwan’s eastern coast near the epicentre of today’s quake close to Hualien County, when falling debris hit tunnels and highways, crushing vehicles and causing several deaths.

How are earthquakes measured?

Trapped Germans rescued

The two Germans who had been trapped in a tunnel have been rescued, the German dpa news agency is quoting the fire brigade authorities as saying.

Photos: Some of the destruction left behind by the quake

Latest earthquake figures

• At least nine people are confirmed dead.
• Another 882 have been injured.
• More than 70 people remain trapped but are believed to be alive, including some in a coal mine.
• Fifty people on minibuses are missing after phone networks went down.

‘Our hearts with people of Taiwan’: Philippine president

Ferdinand Marcos Jr has expressed his country’s support to the people of Taiwan following the quake.

In a post on X, the Philippine president also said his government was “diligently ensuring” the safety of the nearly 160,000 Filipinos residing in Taiwan.

“We stand ready to assist and support our fellow Filipinos in Taiwan in any way possible during this difficult period,” he said.

Our hearts are with the people of Taiwan as they endure the aftermath of today's powerful earthquake. Rest assured, our Department of Migrant Workers is diligently ensuring the safety of the 159,480 Filipinos currently residing in Taiwan. We stand ready to assist and support… — Bongbong Marcos (@bongbongmarcos) April 3, 2024

Fifty people on minibuses heading to national park missing

Authorities say they have lost contact with 50 people travelling on four minibuses heading to a hotel in Taroko National Park, 25km (15 miles) north of Hualien, after the quake downed phone lines.

Rescuers, meanwhile, were slowly evacuating people trapped in tunnels near the city, including two German nationals.

“At present, the most important thing, the top priority, is to rescue people,” President-elect Lai Ching-te said, speaking outside one of the collapsed buildings in Hualien.

Number of people killed rises to nine

The death toll has risen to at least nine people with 882 wounded, according to authorities.

Rescue operations are continuing.

What happened in 1999?

Today’s earthquake was the strongest in 25 years – but what happened a quarter of a century ago?

On September 21, 1999, Taiwan was devastated by an earthquake of magnitude 7.7, which struck at 1:47am.

About 2,400 people were killed and 10,000 injured. More than 100,000 people were left without a home as thousands of buildings collapsed while many roads and bridges were also damaged.

Foxconn says no damage to manufacturing gear

We also have an update from Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker and Apple’s largest biggest iPhone assembler.

The company said it closed some of its production lines for inspection after the quake but added that normal production operations had since gradually resumed, according to Reuters.

The earthquake caused no damage to manufacturing equipment, it added, while the operational and financial impact to the company was described as very slight.

TSMC shares down

We reported earlier that Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC said staff at its factories in Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei, have returned to work after some production line employees were evacuated according to procedure.

The company’s Taipei-listed shares closed trading down 1.3 percent following this morning’s earthquake.

TSMC supplies semiconductors to companies such as Apple and Nvidia.

‘It felt as if the house was going to topple’

In Hualien city, a woman running bed and breakfast accommodation said that fear spread as the quake hit.

“This is the biggest earthquake I have ever experienced,” the woman, who asked to be identified by her family name, Chan, told Reuters.

Meanwhile, Chang Yu-lin, a 60-year-old worker in a hospital in Taipei, described the shaking as “very strong”.

“It felt as if the house was going to topple,” Chang said.

WATCH: Deadly quake topples buildings

Buildings have been toppled in Taiwan after it was hit by its most powerful earthquake in a quarter of a century.

Watch the dramatic footage in our video report below:

‘Close to land and shallow’

As we reported earlier, there have been dozens of aftershocks since the early-morning earthquake.

Taiwanese officials have also warned that there will be more seismic activity in the days ahead.

“The earthquake is close to land and it’s shallow. It’s felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands,” said Wu Chien-fu, director of Taipei’s Central Weather Administration’s Seismological Center.

Taiwan president thanks first responders

Tsai Ing-wen says disaster response is under way following the earthquake and aftershocks.

“I’m deeply grateful for the messages of support we have received from around the world, and to our first responders for their life-saving work,” the Taiwanese president wrote on X.

“My heart is with everyone affected. Please keep in touch with loved ones, and stay safe,” Tsai said.

Disaster response is underway following this morning’s 7.2 earthquake and aftershocks. I’m deeply grateful for the messages of support we have received from around the world, and to our first responders for their life-saving work. My heart is with everyone affected. Please keep… — 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) April 3, 2024

‘The doctors’ desks had moved in all directions’

Anggi Sofiasyah Lacuba, an Indonesian woman caring for a grandmother in Taiwan’s Hualien, was not feeling well and had gone to visit the doctor in the county’s Ji’an township when the quake struck.

She found herself in the bathroom “in a really weak state” when the earthquake struck.

“The earthquake was really powerful. Because I was already sick, I just stayed there. Until the earthquake subsided,” she told Al Jazeera.

“When I went outside, things were falling, the doctors’ desks had moved [in all] directions, and the water dispenser had fallen. Everything had fallen. The doctors [and] nurses were all outside.”

They had all called for Anggi to get out of the building as they evacuated, but she hadn’t felt well enough to follow their advicce.

About an hour after the quake, Anggi posted a WhatsApp story. “It turns out that surrendering to life and death is peaceful,” she wrote.

Taiwan earthquake: Fast facts

• The magnitude 7.2 quake struck just offshore at about 8am local time (00:00 GMT)
• The epicentre was near the eastern county of Hualien
• At least seven people have been killed
• More than 700 were injured
• At least 77 are trapped, mostly in tunnels and collapsed buildings.

Strong Taiwan Quake Kills 9, Injures Hundreds

The earthquake was the most powerful to hit the island in 25 years. Dozens of people remained trapped, and many buildings were damaged, with the worst centered in the city of Hualien.

• Share full article

• Hualien, Taiwan A landslide after the quake. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Books flew off shelves as a home shook. @Abalamindo via Storyful
• Taipei, Taiwan Passengers waiting at a train station as some services were suspended. Chiang Ying-Ying/Associated Press
• Hualien, Taiwan People are rescued from a building that had partially collapsed. TVBS via Associated Press
• Hualien, Taiwan Firefighters rescuing trapped residents from a building. CTI News via Reuters
• Taipei, Taiwan Students evacuated to a school courtyard after the earthquake. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times
• Guishan Island, Taiwan Rocks tumbling down one side of an island popular for hiking. Lavine Lin via Reuters
• Hualien, Taiwan A building leaned to one side after the quake. Randy Yang via Associated Press
• Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan Watching news on a rooftop of a hotel after a tsunami warning. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
• Hualien, Taiwan Motorbikes damaged in the quake. TVBS via Associated Press
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Damage in an apartment Fabian Hamacher/Reuters
• New Taipei City, Taiwan Water cascading down a building during the quake. Wang via Reuters

Meaghan Tobin and Victoria Kim

Here’s what you need to know about the earthquake.

Taiwan was rocked Wednesday morning by the island’s strongest earthquake in a quarter century, a magnitude 7.4 tremor that killed at least nine people, injured more than 800 others and trapped dozens of people.

The heaviest damage was in Hualien County on the island’s east coast, a sleepy, scenic area prone to earthquakes. Footage from the aftermath showed a 10-story building there partially collapsed and leaning heavily to one side, from which residents emerged through windows and climbed down ladders, assisted by rescuers. Three hikers were killed after being hit by falling rocks on a hiking trail in Taroko National Park, according to the county government.

By late afternoon, officials said rescue efforts were underway to try to rescue 127 people who were trapped, many of them on hiking trails in Hualien.

One building in Changhua County, on the island’s west coast, collapsed entirely. The quake was felt throughout Taiwan and set off at least nine landslides, sending rocks tumbling onto Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to local media reports. Rail services were halted at one point across the island.

The earthquake, with an epicenter off Taiwan’s east coast, struck during the morning commute, shortly before 8 a.m. Taiwanese authorities said by 3 p.m., more than 100 aftershocks, many of them stronger than magnitude 5, had rumbled through the area.

In the capital, Taipei, buildings shook for over a minute from the initial quake. Taiwan is at the intersection of the Philippine Sea tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate, making it vulnerable to seismic activity. Hualien sits on multiple active faults, and 17 people died in a quake there in 2018.

Here is the latest:

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people there were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, a holiday across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn the dead and make offerings at their graves. Officials warned the public to stay away from visiting tombs in mountain areas as a precaution, especially because rain was forecast in the coming days.

TSMC, the world’s biggest maker of advanced semiconductors, briefly evacuated workers from its factories but said a few hours later that they were returning to work. Chip production is highly precise, and even short shutdowns can cost millions of dollars.

Christopher Buckley

Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s vice president, who is also its president-elect, visited the city of Hualien this afternoon to assess the destruction and the rescue efforts, a government announcement said. Mr. Lai, who will become president in May, said the most urgent tasks were rescuing trapped residents and providing medical care. Next, Mr. Lai said, public services must be restored, including transportation, water and power. He said Taiwan Railway’s eastern line could be reopened by Thursday night.

Meaghan Tobin

Taiwan’s fire department has updated its figures, reporting that nine people have died and 934 others have been injured in the quake. Fifty-six people in Hualien County remain trapped.

Shake intensity

Taiwan’s fire department reports that nine people have died and 882 others have been injured in Taiwan. In Hualien County, 131 people remain trapped.

Agnes Chang

Footage shows rocks tumbling down one side of Guishan Island, a popular spot for hiking known as Turtle Island, off the northeast coast of Taiwan. Officials said no fishermen or tourists were injured after the landslide.

The death toll has risen to nine, according to Taiwan government statistics.

Meaghan Tobin, Siyi Zhao

Officials in Taiwan warned residents to not visit their relatives' tombs, especially in the mountains, this weekend during the holiday, known as Ching Ming, meant to honor them. There had already been 100 aftershocks and the forecast called for rain, which could make travel conditions on damaged roads more treacherous.

Crews are working to reach people trapped on blocked roads. As of 1 p.m. local time, roads were impassable due to damage and fallen rock in 19 places, according to the Ministry of Transportation. At least 77 people remain trapped. A bridge before Daqingshui Tunnel appeared to have completely collapsed.

Taiwan’s worst rail disaster in decades — a train derailment in 2021 that killed 49 people — took place on the first day of the Tomb Sweeping holiday period that year, in the same region as the earthquake.

The earthquake hit Taiwan as many people here were preparing to travel for Tomb Sweeping Day, or Ching Ming, a day across the Chinese-speaking world when people mourn their dead, especially by making offerings at their graves. Now those plans will be disrupted for many Taiwanese.

The holiday weekend would typically see a spike in travel as people visit family across Taiwan. Currently, both rail transport and highways are blocked in parts of Hualien, said Transport Minister Wang Guo-cai. Work is underway to restore rail transportation in Hualien, and two-way traffic is expected to be restored at noon on Thursday, he said.

Taiwan’s preparedness has evolved in response to past quakes.

Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness has evolved over the past few decades in response to some of the island’s largest and most destructive quakes .

In the years after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in 1999, the authorities established an urban search-and-rescue team and opened several emergency medical operation centers, among other measures .

And in 2018, after a quake in the eastern coastal city of Hualien killed 17 people and caused several buildings to partially collapse, the government ordered a wave of building inspections .

Taiwan has also been improving its early warning system for earthquakes since the 1980s. And two years ago, it rolled out new building codes that, among other things, require owners of vulnerable buildings to install ad-hoc structural reinforcements.

So how well prepared was Taiwan when a 7.4 magnitude quake struck near Hualien on Wednesday morning, killing at least seven people and injuring hundreds more?

Across the island, one building collapsed entirely, 15 others were in a state of partial collapse and another 67 were damaged, the island’s fire department said on Wednesday afternoon . Structural engineers could not immediately be reached for comment to assess that damage, or the extent to which building codes and other regulations might have either contributed to it or prevented worse destruction.

As for search-and-rescue preparedness, Taiwan is generally in very good shape, said Steve Glassey, an expert in disaster response who lives in New Zealand.

“ The skill sets, the capabilities, the equipment, the training is second to none,” said Dr. Glassey, who worked with Taipei’s urban search-and-rescue team during the response to a devastating 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. “They’re a very sharp operation.”

But even the best urban search-and-rescue team will be stretched thin if an earthquake causes multiple buildings to collapse, Dr. Glassey said.

Taiwan has options for requesting international help with search-and-rescue efforts. It could directly ask another country, or countries, to send personnel. And if multiple teams were to get involved, it could ask the United Nations to help coordinate them, as it did after the 1999 earthquake.

Pierre Peron, a spokesman for the United Nations, said on Wednesday afternoon that no such request had yet been made as a result of the latest earthquake.

Meaghan Tobin contributed reporting.

At least seven people have died and 736 have been injured as a result of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Another 77 people remained trapped in Hualien County, many of them on hiking trails. Search and rescue operations are underway, said the fire department.

Aftershocks of magnitudes between 6.5 and 7 were likely to occur over the next three or four days, said Wu Chien-fu, director of the Taiwanese Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center, at a news conference.

As of 2 p.m., 711 people had been injured across Taiwan, the fire department said, and 77 people in Hualien County remained trapped. The four who were known to have died were in Hualien.

Victoria Kim

Hualien County is a quiet and scenic tourist destination.

Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast is a scenic, sleepy tourist area tucked away from the island’s urban centers, with a famous gorge and aquamarine waters. It also happens to sit on several active faults , making it prone to earthquakes.

The county has a population of about 300,000, according to the 2020 census, about a third of whom live in the coastal city of Hualien, the county seat. It is one of the most sparsely populated parts of Taiwan. About three hours by train from the capital, Taipei, the city describes itself as the first place on the island that’s touched by the sun.

Hualien County is home to Taroko National Park, one of Taiwan’s most popular scenic areas. Visitors come to explore the Taroko Gorge, a striated marble canyon carved by the Liwu River, which cuts through mountains that rise steeply from the coast. The city of Hualien is a popular destination as a gateway to the national park.

According to the state-owned Central News Agency, three hikers were trapped on a trail near the entrance to the gorge on Wednesday, after the quake sent rocks falling. Two of them were found dead, the news agency said. Administrators said many roads within the park had been cut off by the earthquake, potentially trapping hikers, according to the report.

Earthquakes have rattled Hualien with some regularity. In 2018, 17 people were killed and hundreds of others injured when a magnitude 6.5 quake struck just before midnight, its epicenter a short distance northeast of the city of Hualien.

Many of the victims in that quake were in a 12-story building that was severely tilted, the first four floors of which were largely crushed, according to news reports from the time. The next year, the area was shaken by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that injured 17 people.

The area has some of the highest concentrations of Taiwan’s aboriginal population, with several of the island’s Indigenous tribes calling the county home .

The county government in Hualien released a list of people that had been hospitalized with injuries, which stood at 118 people as of midday Wednesday.

Across Taiwan, one building fell down entirely, in Changhua County on the west coast, and 15 buildings partially collapsed, Taiwan’s fire department said. Another 67 buildings were damaged. One of the partially collapsed structures was a warehouse in New Taipei City where four people were rescued, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. Another 12 were rescued at a separate New Taipei City building where the foundation sank into the ground.

Peggy Jiang, who manages The Good Kid, a children’s bookstore down the street from the partially collapsed Uranus Building in Hualien, said it was a good thing they had yet to open when the quake struck. The area is now blocked off by police and rescue vehicles. “Most people in Hualien are used to earthquakes,” she said. “But this one was particularly scary, many people ran in the street immediately afterward.”

Lin Jung, 36, who manages a shop selling sneakers in Hualien, said he had been at home getting ready to take his 16-month-old baby to a medical appointment when the earthquake struck. He said it felt at first like a series of small shocks, then “suddenly it turned to an intense earthquake shaking up and down.” The glass cover of a ceiling lamp fell and shattered. “All I could do was protect my baby.”

Chris Buckley ,  Paul Mozur ,  Meaghan Tobin and John Yoon

The earthquake damaged buildings and a highway in Hualien.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Taiwan on Wednesday damaged many buildings and a major highway in Hualien, a city on the eastern coast, and it knocked out power as it rocked the island.

Across Taiwan, the quake and its aftershocks caused one building to completely collapse and 15 others to partially collapse, according to Taiwan’s fire department. Sixty-seven other buildings sustained damage.

Two tall buildings in Hualien that sustained particularly extensive damage were at the center of the rescue efforts there. Most damage across the city was not life-threatening, said Huang Hsuan-wan, a reporter for a local news site.

Where buildings were reported damaged in Hualien City

“A lot of roads were blocked off. There are a lot of walls toppled over onto cars,” Derik du Plessis, 44, a South African resident of Hualien, said shortly after the earthquake. He described people rushing around the city to check on their houses and pick up their children. One of his friends lost her house, he said.

One of the damaged buildings in Hualien, a 10-story structure called the Uranus Building that housed a mix of homes and shops, was tilted over and appeared to be on the verge of collapse. Many of its residents managed to flee, but some were missing, said Sunny Wang, a journalist based in the city. Rescuers were trying to reach the basement, concerned that people might be trapped there.

Photographs of the initial damage in Hualien showed another building, a five-story structure, leaning to one side, with crushed motorcycles visible at the ground-floor level. Bricks had fallen off another high-rise, leaving cracks and holes in the walls.

The quake also set off at least nine landslides on Suhua Highway in Hualien, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency, which said part of the road had collapsed.

Taiwan’s fire department said four people had been killed in the earthquake.

Across Taiwan, 40 flights have been canceled or delayed because of the earthquake, according to Taiwan’s Central Emergency Operation Center.

President Tsai Ing-wen visited Taiwan’s national emergency response center this morning, where she was briefed about the response efforts underway by members of the ministries of defense, transportation, economic affairs and agriculture, as well as the fire department.

A look at Taiwan’s strongest earthquakes.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning was the strongest in 25 years, the island’s Central Weather Administration said.

At least four people died after the quake struck off Taiwan’s east coast, officials said.

Here’s a look back at some of the major earthquakes in modern Taiwanese history:

Taichung, 1935

Taiwan’s deadliest quake registered a magnitude of 7.1 and struck near the island’s west coast in April 1935, killing more than 3,200 people, according to the Central Weather Administration. More than 12,000 others were injured and more than 50,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Tainan, 1941

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake in December 1941, which struck southwestern Taiwan, caused several hundred deaths, the United States Geological Survey said.

Chi-Chi, 1999

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan killed nearly 2,500 people in September 1999. The quake, which struck about 90 miles south-southwest of Taipei, was the second-deadliest in the island’s history, according to the U.S.G.S. and the Central Weather Administration. More than 10,000 people were injured and more than 100,000 homes were destroyed or damaged.

Yujing, 2016

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake in February 2016 caused a 17-story apartment complex in southwestern Taiwan to collapse, killing at least 114 people . The U.S.G.S. later said that 90 earthquakes of that scale or greater had occurred within 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, of that quake’s location over the previous 100 years.

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Taiwan is hit by its strongest earthquake in nearly 25 years

John Ruwitch

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, residents rescue a child from a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday. AP hide caption

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, residents rescue a child from a partially collapsed building in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — A major earthquake struck Taiwan during the morning rush hour on Wednesday, collapsing buildings and triggering tsunami warnings in Japan and the Philippines.

At least 9 people were reported dead and 963 were injured in the strongest earthquake that has not seen since 1999, Taiwanese officials said.

The Picture Show

Photos: see the aftermath of the taiwan earthquake.

The quake hit near the eastern city of Hualien at 7:58 a.m. local time (2358 GMT) and had a magnitude of 7.4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey , making it the strongest quake to hit since 1999. The depth was about 35 kilometers (22 miles), which is considered shallow. Taiwan's earthquake monitoring agency gave the magnitude as 7.2.

Strong shaking was felt in Taipei, the capital, some 100 miles away, with aftershocks continued for roughly two hours. And there were reports in China that people as far away as Shanghai, about 500 miles to the north, could feel the earthquake.

Earthquakes happen all over the world. Here's how to start preparing for one

Images on television showed extensive damage, including buildings listing to the side after having been shaken off their foundations. The authorities suspended work and school in Hualien, an area with about 300,000 residents. Officials also closed down eight power plants for safety, and 87,000 residents in Hualien, the epicenter, were without power, though electricity remains on for the rest of the island.

TSMC, the world's leading maker of cutting edge microchips, temporarily evacuated production lines after the quake.

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands. TVBS via AP hide caption

In this image taken from a video footage run by TVBS, a partially collapsed building is seen in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday. A powerful earthquake rocked the entire island of Taiwan early Wednesday, collapsing buildings in a southern city and creating a tsunami that washed ashore on southern Japanese islands.

Taiwan's transportation authorities said train service was suspended island-wide, as well as subway service in Taipei. Videos from the epicenter show rockslides covering roads and houses that were knocked off-kilter.

An initial tsunami warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency was lifted later on Wednesday. The AP reported that a wave of 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) was detected on the coast of Yonaguni island about 15 minutes after the quake struck. JAMA said waves likely also hit the coasts of Miyako and Yaeyama islands.

Taiwan earthquake briefly halts chip factories that power the global economy

In the Philippines, no tsunami warning was issued, but residents in various coastal areas were advised to move to higher ground or move inland.

According to Taiwan media, the last earthquake of a magnitude 7 or greater to hit the island was the Sept. 21, 1999, "Jiji" earthquake that measured 7.3, which destroyed thousands of buildings and killed more than 2,400 people.

John Ruwitch contributed reporting from Beijing.

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Is it safe to travel to Taiwan right now? The latest travel advice after earthquake and tsunami warning

Here’s everything we know so far

Taiwan  is one of Asia’s most underrated travel destinations, with a magnetic capital city in  Taipei  and a stunning mountainous landscape. Located at the crossover of the South and East China Sea, the island nation offers travellers a long list of adventures .

However, an earthquake struck the east coast of the island at 7:58am (local time) this morning, which is the strongest experienced by Taiwan for 25 years. Locally, it’s been recorded as a magnitude 7.2, but the US Geological Survey recorded it as 7.4.  It was also felt in southern Japan , eastern China and the Philippines .

Here is what we know so far about travelling to Taiwan in the wake of the earthquake. 

Is it safe to travel to Taiwan? 

Though travelling to the island is yet to be explicitly advised against, aftershocks of at least 6.5 magnitude are expected to continue over the next four days at least, according to Taiwanese Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Centre. 

The tremors set off nine landslides, and the debris collapsed onto Suhua highway in the city of Hualien, which has been the worst-hit area. Multiple residential buildings have been damaged, and a couple have even collapsed. 

Taiwan’s electricity operator, Taipower, has said more than 87,000 people are currently without power. 

Where was impacted by the earthquake? 

The epicentre of the earthquake was around 18km south of Hualien, with the surrounding county being the worst-hit area, according to local officials. Three hikers were killed in Taroko National Park. The death toll in total so far is nine people, and 821 have been injured – this number is expected to rise.

Train services across the island have been suspended, as have subway services in Taipei. 

Is there still a tsunami warning in place?  

The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings across the region, but according to Al Jazeera , those have now been lifted. 

How close is Taiwan to Japan? 

Taiwan and Japan are 2,163km apart. While this might sound like a long distance, tsunamis have been known to travel up to 5,000km, and small tsunami waves were experienced on the coasts of Japan’s Miyako and Yaeyama islands. 

What’s the latest UK Foreign Office advice? 

The UK Foreign Office updated its Taiwan travel advice page today (April 3), stating: ‘On Wednesday 3 April 2024 at 07.58 local time, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Eastern Taiwan with shocks felt all across the island including Taipei. Aftershocks continue to occur and you should expect travel disruption. You should consult the Central Weather Administration website and other official sources for more information.’

What are your rights if you’ve booked a trip? 

Until the UK Foreign Office issues advice against all but essential travel to Taiwan, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to cancel your travel plans without any penalties. To see what can be done, it’d be best to contact your accommodation, flight or trip provider.  

Have flights to Taiwan and Japan been cancelled?

So far, there’s no news of flights to either Taiwan or Japan being cancelled, but just to be sure, it’s best to check with your airline directly if you have one booked. 

Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news.

• Liv Kelly Contributing Writer

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Closer defense ties expected after first U.S.- Japan-Philippines summit, Manila's envoy says

Defense and economic cooperation between the United States, Japan and the Philippines is expected to increase following their first-ever trilateral leaders’ summit next week in Washington, Manila's envoy to Tokyo said in an interview.

The statement comes amid media reports that the three countries plan to launch joint naval patrols in the South China Sea later this year — a move that would mark Tokyo’s first participation in such exercises, and anger Beijing.

Chinese state-run media has already criticized the plans, warning the move would “only serve to incite greater crisis and conflicts in the western Pacific.”

Both Washington and Tokyo are looking to reinforce defense and economic relations with Manila, which has become crucial to allied plans to deter Beijing.

Maritime disputes between China and the Philippines have rapidly intensified in recent months, with Marcos taking a more assertive stance and vowing not to lose “an inch" of territory.

From the repeated use of water cannons and collisions near contested reefs, dangerous and aggressive incidents have surged, particularly with Chinese vessels harassing ships aiming to resupply a Philippine garrison atop a warship grounded on submerged reef also claimed by Beijing.

Despite the mounting tensions, Garcia-Albano made it clear that, in defending its sovereignty and promoting its national interest, the Philippines “gives primacy to diplomacy and dialogue.”

“We believe in resolving disputes through peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” she said.

Simultaneously, the country is committed to strengthening its maritime capabilities to ensure national security, uphold it maritime rights, and protect its sovereignty, the ambassador added.

“This dual approach of enhancing our maritime defense while actively pursuing diplomatic solutions underscores our dedication to peace, cooperation, and the rule of law in the West Philippine Sea and beyond.”

The shared concerns and escalating tensions have brought Washington, Tokyo and Manila closer, prompting a swift expansion of security and economic relations between the latter two, both U.S. allies.

Tokyo has repeatedly expressed concerns about Chinese military activities in the region, including what it sees as Beijing’s “attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force.”

Last year, Kishida became the first Japanese leader to visit the Philippines since 2017, pledging to help improve Manila’s maritime law enforcement capabilities through port infrastructure development and the provision of additional coast guard patrol vessels.

The Philippines also became the first beneficiary of Japan’s Official Security Assistance, a military aid program that provides defense equipment for free to like-minded nations.

“OSA has allowed the Philippines to acquire coastal radar systems to ensure that we have 24/7 continuous monitoring of our waters and airspace,” said Garcia-Albano, noting that related deals have sent a “very strong political signal that both our countries are committed to the rule of law, which is aligned with Japan’s vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

Meanwhile, a bilateral visiting-forces agreement expected to be signed in the coming months will facilitate joint exercises with the Self-Defense Forces.

Manila will also be hosting the Philippines-Japan Maritime Dialogue later this year. Garcia-Albano said the Marcos administration plans to review progress made since March 2023 “so as to have a substantive discussion” with Tokyo in order to “sustain the positive momentum.”

Coast guard collaboration is also expected to grow, with the ambassador saying that Manila looks forward to the “expansion and continued acquisition of platforms and equipment from Japan to improve the Philippines’ own capabilities.”

Tokyo is looking to install satellite communication systems on Philippine patrol vessels and develop a Philippine Coast Guard base at Subic Bay that could host the agency’s two 97-meter, Japan-made patrol vessels.

Garcia-Albano said that Japan’s assistance, be it to the coast guard, the military or in nontraditional sectors such as cyber and economic security, are “positive and contribute to our efforts to secure and maintain peace in our waters.”

This, along with multilateral engagements in areas such as nonproliferation, space security and upholding the primacy of the UNCLOS, “demonstrates our commitment to regional and global peace and security,” she added.

But arguably the greatest factor emboldening Manila’s tougher stance on China has been Washington’s assurances that allies’ mutual defense treaty applies to “armed attacks on either nation's armed forces or public vessels anywhere in the South China Sea.”

Marcos agreed last year to provide U.S. forces access to four more military sites in the Philippines — in addition to a previously agreed five — providing Washington with a strategic footing on the southeastern edge of the South China Sea, near Taiwan.

Despite congratulating Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te on his January election win, Marcos has said he does not endorse Taiwanese independence and reiterated his country’s commitment to its One China policy — a stance confirmed by Garcia-Albano.

At the same time, the ambassador clarified that this “does not preclude” sustaining and enhancing mutually beneficial economic and societal relations through active cooperation and increased exchanges.

Considering Taiwan’s proximity, the presence of Filipinos there and the economic heft of the parties, Manila has legitimate interests in cross-Strait issues, she added, urging concerned parties to “exercise maximum restraint, and to resolve issues through diplomacy and dialogue, and not through force.”

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