A car was struck by a boulder as motorists dramatically reversed away from a landslide during the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked Taiwan.

Driver dashcam shows the moment the quake struck on road in Hualien on April 3 as large chunks of rocks to tumbled down the mountain.

Frantic drivers reversed away but one vehicle was struck by a large boulder and knocked back against a wall.

Rescue teams were still searching for missing residents a day after the earthquake with more than 1,000 believed to have been injured in the natural disaster. Officials said some 127 people are trapped in collapsed tunnels and on mountainous roads along the rugged coastline.

Dozens of buildings suffered severe damage and were deemed structurally unsafe following the tremors and aftershocks in Hualien, the epicentre of the magnitude 7.4 quake.

Officials said the earthquake struck at around 7.58 am local time off the east coast of the country triggering tsunami warnings in Taiwan and neighbouring Japan and the Philippines. The epicentre was around 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien.

Taiwan's national fire agency said that at least nine people have died.