Taiwan sees frequent earthquakes as it is located at the junction of two tectonic plates. (Representational)
Taipei:
Taiwan’s capital was shaken by a “strong” earthquake early Monday evening, AFP staff reported, with the Central Weather Administration saying it was a magnitude-5.5 tremor originating in eastern Hualien.
The region was the epicenter of a magnitude-7.4 earthquake that hit on April 3, causing landslides around the mountainous region that blocked off roads, while buildings in the main Hualien city were badly damaged.
At least 17 were killed in the earthquake, with the latest body discovered on April 13 in a quarry.
Monday’s quake hit Taiwan at around 5:08 pm local time (0908 GMT) and could be felt in the capital Taipei.
US Geological Survey put it at 5.3 magnitude, with a depth of 8.9 kilometers.
“It felt like one of the strongest quakes or aftershocks since the big one earlier this month,” an AFP staffer said.
Hualien’s fire department said in a short post on its official social media channel that they had dispatched teams to inspect any disaster from the earthquake.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and report in a timely manner.”
Taiwan sees frequent earthquakes as it is located at the junction of two tectonic plates.
The April 3 earthquake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, which caused rockfalls around Hualien.
It was the most serious in Taiwan since 1999 when a magnitude of 7.6 hit the island.
The death count then was far higher — with 2,400 people killed in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.
Stricter building regulations — including enhanced seismic requirements in its building codes — and widespread public disaster awareness appeared to have staved off a more serious catastrophe in April’s major earthquake.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
