Strong earthquake of magnitude 7 hits Taiwan, buildings shake in Taipei
The exact coordinates of the epicentre were 24.69°N, 122.08°E and the focal depth of the earthquake was 72.8 km.
A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.0 hit Taiwan on Saturday, according to the country's weather agency.
According to Taiwan's central weather agency, the earthquake hit Taiwan's northeastern coastal city of Yilan at 23:05 pm on Saturday (local time). The epicentre of the quake was 32.3 kilometre east of Yilan County Hall.
The exact coordinates of the epicentre were 24.69°N, 122.08°E and the focal depth of the earthquake was 72.8 km.
According to Taiwan's National Fire Agency, damage assessment was underway. No tsunami alert was issued after the quake.
Since the earthquake hit late at night, the fire agency also shared the “safest way to respone” on X (formerly Twitter) after the quake. The agency asked people to “first, protect yourself immediately”, “stay away from dangerous objects”, “keep shoes and a flashlight by the bedside”, “wait until the shaking stops before taking action”, “stay calm to avoid injuries from aftershocks”.
There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage caused by the quake, said Taipei city government. However, according to local media, buildings in Taiwan's capital were swayed due to the quake and tremors were felt across Taiwan, reported news agency AFP.
The fresh quake comes just three days after Taiwan's southeastern coastal county of Taitung was rocked by an earthquake of magnitude 6.1 on Wednesday, the island’s weather administration said. The quake even shook buildings in Taiwan's capital Taipei. The depth of the quake was about 11.9 km.
Shaking was felt across parts of Taiwan, including Kaohsiung, with strong jolts reported near the epicentre. The tremor even knocked items off shelves at a supermarket in the southeastern county.
In April 2024, Taiwan was shook by a major earthquake of magnitude 7.4, strongest in 25 years, which had killed at least 17 people. That earthquake also triggered landslides and caused extensive damage to buildings around Hualien.
