Taipei, Taiwan – The capital city of Taiwan was struck by a succession of earthquakes during the night and early hours of Tuesday. The Central Weather Administration reported that the most intense tremor measured 6.3 on the Richter scale and originated in the eastern Hualien area.
The initial strong earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.5, occurred on Monday around 5:08 pm (0908 GMT), according to the Central Weather Administration. It could be felt in the capital city of Taipei.
This was followed by a series of aftershocks and earthquakes. Two major tremors occurred back-to-back around 2:30 am (1830 GMT) on Tuesday, as reported by AFP journalists and witnesses in Taipei.
Olivier Bonifacio, a tourist staying in Taipei’s Da’an district, told AFP, “I was washing my hands, and suddenly felt what I thought was vertigo. I stepped into my room and noticed the building was rocking and I heard the desk creak.” He then realized it was another aftershock.
He added that he had experienced a feeling of dizziness while washing his hands, then felt the building shaking and heard the desk making noises, indicating another aftershock.
The Central Weather Administration reported that a 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred at 2:26 am, followed by the stronger 6.3 magnitude tremor six minutes later.
The US Geological Survey stated that the first earthquake measured at 6.1 on the Richter scale, followed by a 6.0 magnitude one.
During the rest of the night, dozens of smaller tremors were recorded in the Hualien region by the Central Weather Administration, with new ones occurring every few minutes, as stated on its website.
Throughout Monday, AFP reporters could feel their buildings swaying during intense earthquakes. One reporter mentioned, “glass panels of bathroom and windows were making noises” as the island shook.
The Hualien region was the epicenter of a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on April 3, which led to landslides blocking off roads around the hilly region and significant damage to buildings in the central Hualien city.
At least 17 individuals lost their lives in that earthquake, with the most recent victim discovered in a quarry on April 13.
At the beginning of Tuesday, Hualien’s fire department mentioned that teams were sent out to assess any potential disasters resulting from the new earthquakes.
At 2:54 am, they issued a statement indicating that no casualties had been reported thus far.
Taiwan frequently experiences earthquakes due to its location at the convergence of two tectonic plates.
The earthquake on April 3 was followed by numerous aftershocks, which caused rockfalls around Hualien.
It was the most severe earthquake in Taiwan since 1999, when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the island. The death toll at that time was considerably higher, with 2,400 people perishing in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.
Tougher building regulations, including enhanced seismic requirements in its building codes, and widespread public awareness of disasters seemed to have prevented a more severe catastrophe during the April 3 earthquake.
Agence France-Presse
