TAIPEI – More than a dozen earthquakes, the strongest one of 5.7-magnitude, struck Taiwan’s east coast on April 22 and some caused brief shaking in the capital Taipei, with no immediate reports of damage.
The earthquakes were centered on the largely rural eastern county of Hualien.
The region was the epicenter of a 7.4-magnitude quake 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.
“It felt like one of the strongest quakes or aftershocks since the big one earlier this month,” an AFP staff member said of one of the quakes.
Hualien’s fire department said in a short post on its official social media channel that it had dispatched teams to inspect any damage 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 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the island.
The death toll 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. Reuters, AFP
Tags: Series earthquakes rattle Taiwan centered stillreeling county Hualien
