Taipei, March 11 (CNA) Flights from Taiwan to Tokyo were suspended Friday as two international airports in the Japanese capital were shut down following a 8.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan, earlier in the day, triggering a massive tsunami.
The affected flights included China Airlines’s CI018, which was scheduled to depart from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 2:05 p.m, and EVA Airways’ BR2196, which was due to leave at 3 p.m., also from the Taoyuan airport.
Japan Airlines’ NH032, which was scheduled to take off at 3: 15 p.m. from Taipei International Airport for Haneda airport in Tokyo, was also delayed.
It was not certain whether three other flights from Taipei to Haneda would be able to depart later in the day as scheduled.
According to China Airlines, Narita and Haneda airports had both been closed for safety reasons after heavy earthquake damage was reported in Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture.
According to Taiwan’s Travel Agent Association, there were four tour groups from Taiwan in Sendai at the time of the earthquake, and another four to five groups in other areas of Miyagi.