The massive tremor was confirmed by seismic data. Initial reports put the quake 77 km (47 miles) south of Hualian and Chinese Taipei. The event struck at 17:41 UTC. Footage has already surfaced on social media showing floating light fixtures, and concerned residents. There is no immediate fear of a tsunami.
The quake struck at a depth of about 10 km.
Witness accounts have been poured into the EMSC.
One resident said, “Wake up in the middle of the night, everything was moving.”
Another from Hsinchu said: “Strong ruffles, very long, at least 30 seconds.
Aftershock almost immediately for another 20 seconds.
“Not dangerous, but the worried one I have so far about an earthquake.”
Another in Zhubei said: “The longest earthquake I have ever felt.
“Shaking went on for over a minute.”
Of Xindian, another resident spoke of the rapid succession of the after-shock.
They said, “Strong and longest in a while. Aftershock followed the main one right after that.”
READ MORE:
China to use Russia for peace talks to secure sanctions agreement with US
In a reassuring tweet, a user wrote that the quake did not cause any damage.
Laoren Channa said: “Taiwan itself says 6.6 followed by 6.1 (although there were two, I felt both).
“Taipei is good, the west coast is good.
“Worry about the less popular east coast, but no, this is not destruction on a national scale.”
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake shook the island last year, where again very little damage was reported.
Reports have yet to emerge from official sources about the situation after this.
Are you in Taiwan? Do you have family members who are affected by the tremor? Contact us by CLICK HERE and tell us in our comments section below. Every vote is important!
Add Comment