This photo taken on April 3, 2024 shows a damaged residential building in Hualien, Taiwan. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Some train services operating in the eastern part of the mainland have been temporarily suspended or have implemented a speed limited starting Wednesday as they have been affected by the earthquake near Hualien county, Taiwan island.

According to a statement released by Guangzhou Railway Group on Wednesday, the move aims to ensure the safety of railway operation and safety of passengers.

The affected railway lines mainly include the tracks that link Fujian province, which faces Taiwan across the Taiwan Strait, to Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces in eastern and southern parts of the mainland, the statement said.

Meanwhile some high-speed trains on the Shanghai-Kunming line have adjusted their operating sections or are making detours to ensure the safety of railway operation, it said.

The statement urged passengers to pay attention to further notifications from the railway department.

The Ministry of Natural Resources issued a second-highest level orange tsunami alert on Wednesday morning following a strong 7.3-magnitude earthquake in Hualien.

The ministry's tsunami warning center warned of potential local tsunamis near the epicenter close to Hualien on the east coast of China's Taiwan. These localized waves could cause significant damage in affected coastal areas.

The earthquake struck at 7:58 am at a depth of approximately 12 kilometers. The China Earthquake Networks Center located the epicenter at 23.81 degrees north latitude and 121.74 degrees east longitude.