Taiwan hit by a 6.1-magnitude earthquake: CENC

A 6.1-magnitude earthquake jolted the waters off Hualien County in China's Taiwan at 7:35 a.m. Friday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

The epicenter was monitored at 23.74 degrees north latitude and 121.95 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 16 km, said a report issued by the CENC. 

Previously, warning was issued after southwestern Japan was jolted on Thursday by a strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake, forcing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to cancel his trip to Central Asia on Friday.

It is the “first such advisory for areas around the Nankai Trough” -- stretching from southwestern to central Japan -- issued by Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

"In the worst-case scenario, a powerful temblor could shake a wide area of Japan -- from the Kanto region centering on Tokyo to the southwestern Kyushu region -- and high tsunami waves could engulf the coastal areas of Kanto to Okinawa," said the agency.

Several injuries and damage to buildings were reported in Miyazaki and two neighboring provinces after the earthquake hit the region on Thursday.