Force of nature
Several strong earthquakes on Taiwan’s east coast
Rescuers stand in front of a collapsed apartment building while searching for missing people. The earth shook strongly on Taiwan’s east coast again. photo
© Chiang Ying-Ying/AP/dpa
Only recently the earth shook violently in Taiwan and caused damage. Now it has hit the east of the island republic again.
After the strong earthquake a few weeks ago, the east Taiwan was once again shaken by violent tremors. According to the relevant Taiwanese meteorological agency, the quakes with magnitudes of 6.3 and 6.0 occurred early in the morning.
The epicenter of the strongest quake was approximately 17 kilometers south to southwest of the Hualien district government headquarters. The tremors were recorded at a depth of between 5.5 and 10 kilometers. The tremors were also clearly felt in the Taiwanese capital Taipei.
The day before, the authorities recorded a series of earthquakes, the strongest of which reached a magnitude of 5.9. There were initially no reports of injuries or damage. However, the fire department said it observed two empty buildings that were damaged in the severe earthquake at the beginning of the month and were now tilted.
The city of Hualien and the district of the same name that surrounds it were once again hit by strong tremors. On April 3, the earth shook in the sea a few kilometers east of Hualien with a magnitude of 7.2. At least 17 people were killed. Rescue workers last discovered a fatality in a quarry on April 13th. The East Asian island republic with its more than 23 million inhabitants is used to earthquakes. However, the tremors at the beginning of April were the strongest in almost 25 years, although in 1999 the number of victims was significantly higher at more than 2,400.