Hualien is Taiwan's largest county located on the island's east coast and the region is known for its mountainous terrain.

Wednesday's earthquake off the coast of Hualien and multiple aftershocks have triggered landslides. It's caused many large rocks and boulders to come crashing down, blocking roads and railway lines and causing damage which could take weeks to repair.

According to Taiwanese media outlet United Daily News (UDN), all Taiwan Railway trains bound for Hualien have been suspended due to the landslides.

As the picture below shows, part of the road leading to the Qingshui Tunnel has collapsed. The tunnel is important to the region, as it cuts through the Qingshui Cliff on the coast of Hualien.

Image source, Taiwan Current News

We've just got an update from Taiwan's fire agency：four people are now confirmed dead, and another 57 injured.

We've also received more details about the first death we reported earlier. It occurred at the Dekalun Trail at Taroko Gorge just outside of Hualien, said Taiwanese authorities.

Local media report the person was crushed by falling rocks. The person who died was in a group of seven people, some of whom also suffered injuries.

Peter Hoskins
Business reporter, in Singapore

Image source, Reuters

Taiwan is crucial to the world economy as it is home to technology giants like computer chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and iPhone manufacturer Foxconn.

TSMC is a major producer of semiconductors for tech firms including Apple and Nvidia.

As well as making devices for Apple, Foxconn also manufactures electronics products including Amazon’s Kindle and video game consoles for Nintendo, Sega and Sony.

Following the earthquake, TSMC said it had evacuated some of its factories to ensure all of its personnel were safe and that they were starting to return to their workplaces.

The company also said it was confirming the details of the earthquake's impact on its operations.

Foxconn did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.

The island’s tech firms also produce components, including printed circuit boards and advanced camera lenses.

Taiwanese companies are also major suppliers for global clothing brands like Nike and Adidas.

We've just confirmed that so far one person has died in the earthquake. That's according to a statement we've received from Taiwan's national fire agency.

Stay with us as we bring you more updates.

Taiwan's fire department has said one person has died and more than 50 are injured, according to the Reuters news agency.

Separately, Taiwanese news outlet UDN is quoting the Central Disaster and Prevention Response Council as saying one person was killed by falling rocks. It is still unclear whether this is the same death reported by Reuters.

According to Taiwanese media outlets, police have rescued at least nine people from a partially collapsed building in Hualien and five people are still waiting for help.

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes
BBC Asia correspondent in Taipei

I lived in Japan for 10 years where earthquakes are regular and I am used to feeling them. But this morning was one of the biggest or the biggest I've ever experienced.

I am on a higher floor here - the eighth floor - but the building shook violently, so violently that I had to hang on to the kitchen counter to stabilise myself.

Stuff came off shelves, flower pots were toppled, windows were opened, doors were moved.

It was very violent shaking, even here in Taipei, well over a 100km from the epicentre in Hualien.

There is a very large building site behind my house - and some construction equipment fell off the top of that, crashing to the street below.

It doesn't look like anyone was injured but it could have easily killed people. It was a busy time with people going to work.

I have talked to friends who have lived here for some time - local people and foreigners - and they say this is the biggest earthquake they can remember in at least 20 years, maybe even longer.

Multiple aftershocks were felt in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, in the hour after the initial quake.

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

The Japanese Meteorological Agency has also told Japanese citizens to be vigilant for aftershocks, Reuters has reported.

The powerful quake was felt all across the island, even in cities hundreds of kilometres away from the Hualien epicentre.

Image source, TVBS

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

• There's been a powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake just off the eastern coast of Taiwan
• It is Taiwan's strongest earthquake in 25 years, according to seismology officials
• At least two buildings have partially collapsed in Hualien - the city closest to the epicentre - and are shown leaning at precarious angles
• The earthquake hit the area at 07:58 local time on Wednesday (23:58 GMT) and the epicentre was situated about 18km (11 miles) south of Hualien
• A tsunami warning had been declared for nearby Japanese islands in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, but it has since been downgraded to a "tsunami advisory"
• The Philippines, which is also near Taiwan, has also declared a tsunami alert for its northern coastline

Tessa Wong
Live page editor

A powerful earthquake has struck off the coast of Taiwan, causing buildings to collapse in Hualien, the city closest to the epicentre. Rescuers are pulling out survivors. Earlier there were tsunami warnings issued by Taiwan as well as neighbouring Japan and the Philippines.

Stay with us as my colleagues Fiona Nimoni, Frances Mao and I bring you more updates.