One local person from the Carlow Kilkenny area is among those caught up in the earthquake in Taiwan.
It hit at about 8am (local time) as many were travelling to school and work, killing four people and injuring dozens.
Estimated to have measured 7.4, it’s the strongest to hit the island in at least 25 years.
The tremor damaged buildings and caused a small tsunami which hit southern Japanese islands, but nobody there has so far been reported injured.
Emily Feng’s a journalist in Taiwan and says the low number of deaths is because infrastructure’s improved.
The local man is visiting the area that was hit but family members have told KCLR News that both are safe and well.