TAIPEI: A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Taiwan early Wednesday, tearing down buildings and waking people from their slumber, but with no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.
Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes, as the island is close to the intersection of two tectonic plates.
Taiwan does not issue tsunami warnings unless an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 is recorded.
The US Geological Survey downgraded this template from an initial estimate of magnitude 6.9 down to 6.6, then back to 6.7.
It also revised the depth from an initial 10 km (6 miles) to 24 km.
The quake struck off the east coast of Taiwan but was felt across much of the island.
An AFP reporter felt that her building was shaking a few minutes after 1:40 (1740 GMT) in the Zhongshan district of Taipei. Government-issued alarms sent people cell phones sheet.
The local news channel TVBS reported that people in the eastern city of Hualien – who saw a deadly earthquake in 2018 – fled to the streets of a 12th floor building.
In the southern Kaohsiung city of Taiwan – the third most popular on the island – Mayor Chen Chi-mai posted on Facebook that the epicenter was in the sea off the coast of Hualien.
“So far there has been no harm,” he said.
Twitter and Facebook are lit up with people posting their reactions as they are awakened by the earthquake, with some videos of their ceiling lights flickering.
“The chandelier on my ceiling shook for more than three minutes and did not stop,” local reporter Chao Li wrote on Facebook.
“It shakes so much, it scares people to death,” he said in an accompanying video.
The Hualien County government said the quake occurred near its town, which is usually a tourist attraction with its beaches and scenic walks.
“The quake was felt all over Taiwan,” the county government said on its official Facebook page.
“Please panic if there are aftershocks and we urge residents to prepare for disaster prevention,” it added.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau said an initial 5.4 magnitude earthquake occurred at 1:06 p.m.
It was followed by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 at 1:41 p.m., and two minutes later an aftershock of 6.1 magnitude occurred, the bureau reported.
Some earthquakes of 6.0 or more can prove fatal, although much depends on where the earthquake strikes and at what depth.
But the USGS has given a “green” ranking for the threat of the latest earthquake, predicting a low probability of either victim or damage.
The last time Taiwan experienced an earthquake of similar magnitude was in January, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck its east coast. But there were no reports of widespread damage or injuries.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake in 2018 hit Hualien, a scenic tourist hotspot that killed 17 people and injured 300 others.
Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes, as the island is close to the intersection of two tectonic plates.
Taiwan does not issue tsunami warnings unless an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 is recorded.
The US Geological Survey downgraded this template from an initial estimate of magnitude 6.9 down to 6.6, then back to 6.7.
It also revised the depth from an initial 10 km (6 miles) to 24 km.
The quake struck off the east coast of Taiwan but was felt across much of the island.
An AFP reporter felt that her building was shaking a few minutes after 1:40 (1740 GMT) in the Zhongshan district of Taipei. Government-issued alarms sent people cell phones sheet.
The local news channel TVBS reported that people in the eastern city of Hualien – who saw a deadly earthquake in 2018 – fled to the streets of a 12th floor building.
In the southern Kaohsiung city of Taiwan – the third most popular on the island – Mayor Chen Chi-mai posted on Facebook that the epicenter was in the sea off the coast of Hualien.
“So far there has been no harm,” he said.
Twitter and Facebook are lit up with people posting their reactions as they are awakened by the earthquake, with some videos of their ceiling lights flickering.
“The chandelier on my ceiling shook for more than three minutes and did not stop,” local reporter Chao Li wrote on Facebook.
“It shakes so much, it scares people to death,” he said in an accompanying video.
The Hualien County government said the quake occurred near its town, which is usually a tourist attraction with its beaches and scenic walks.
“The quake was felt all over Taiwan,” the county government said on its official Facebook page.
“Please panic if there are aftershocks and we urge residents to prepare for disaster prevention,” it added.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau said an initial 5.4 magnitude earthquake occurred at 1:06 p.m.
It was followed by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 at 1:41 p.m., and two minutes later an aftershock of 6.1 magnitude occurred, the bureau reported.
Some earthquakes of 6.0 or more can prove fatal, although much depends on where the earthquake strikes and at what depth.
But the USGS has given a “green” ranking for the threat of the latest earthquake, predicting a low probability of either victim or damage.
The last time Taiwan experienced an earthquake of similar magnitude was in January, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck its east coast. But there were no reports of widespread damage or injuries.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake in 2018 hit Hualien, a scenic tourist hotspot that killed 17 people and injured 300 others.
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