TAIPEI: A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan’s southeastern coastal county of Taitung on Wednesday (Dec 24) evening, the island’s weather administration said.
The quake shook buildings in the capital, Taipei. The quake that struck at 5.47pm local time had a depth of 11.9km, the administration said.
There are no immediate reports of damage across Taiwan, the National Fire Agency said.
Taiwan chipmaker TSMC said the quake did not reach the required level for evacuation of factories across the island, which lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.
Areas including Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung and Tainan were issued alerts, said the Central Weather Administration. The intensity of the quake was measured at four on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale in Hualien and Pingtung counties.
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.
More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.
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Source: CNA
