Shaking Felt In Taipei As 5.6-Magnitude Quake Strikes

Gail

Earthquakes hits off the northern coast of Taiwan Thursday morning with strong aftershocks as reported by U.S. Geological Survey. A preliminary magnitude-5.6 quake about 8 miles northeast of Su’ao, struck at a depth of 6 miles at around 11:17 a.m. It was followed by a magnitude 5.5-magnitude earthquake around 13 miles east-northeast of Su’ao a little more than an hour later, according to the USGS.

Although there were no immediate reports of injuries or damaged and collapsed buildings, reporters in Taipei said thursday’s quake rocked high-rise blocks. There were also reports from the local media of power cuts and people trapped in lifts, with children fleeing and screaming from classrooms.

Shake Map

Last February, a magnitude-6.4 earthquake hits Taiwan, a city on the country’s southwestern coast. That earthquake toppled buildings and killed more than 100 people. Most of those killed were found at the ruins of a residential complex that collapsed.

Earthquakes is common in Taiwan, but usually cause little or no damage, particularly since more stringent building regulations were introduced following a magnitude-7.6 quake in 1999 that killed more than 2,300, The Associated Press reported at the time of February’s quake.

Leave a Comment