Japan, Taiwan and Philippines on Tsunami Alert after Earthquake

Japan issues tsunami warning following a 7.5 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale, which occurred near Taiwan.

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The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that the earthquake occurred around 9:00 local time.

The JMA also called for the immediate evacuation of the residents of Okinawa Miyakojima and Yaeyama islands, as tsunami waves are expected to reach the height of 3 metres.

"Tsunami waves are approaching the shores. Evacuate as quickly as possible. Waves can strike repeatedly. Continue to evacuate until all warnings are lifted," the agency said.

For its part in Taiwan, the earthquake is the largest recorded 25 years, according to the territorial authorities. The phenomenon affected the entire island and detached several buildings from the foundations.

Taiwanese authorities issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas and asked residents to be "vigilant".

The Philippines also alerted people to possible tsunamis and evacuated residents from the coast.