Taiwan’s capital was shaken by a “robust” earthquake early Monday night, AFP employees reported, with the Central Weather Administration saying it was a magnitude-5.5 tremor originating in japanese Hualien.
The area was the epicentre of a magnitude-7.4 quake that hit on April 3, inflicting landslides across the mountainous area that blocked off roads, whereas buildings in the primary Hualien metropolis had been badly broken.
At least 17 had been killed within the quake, with the latest physique found on April 13 in a quarry.
Monday’s quake hit Taiwan at round 5:08 pm native time (0908 GMT) and could possibly be felt within the capital Taipei.
US Geological Survey put it at 5.3 magnitude, with a depth of 8.9 kilometres.
“It felt like one of many strongest quakes or aftershocks for the reason that massive one earlier this month,” an AFP staffer stated.
Hualien’s fireplace division stated in a brief publish on its official social media channel that that they had dispatched groups to examine of any catastrophe from the quake.
“We will proceed to observe the scenario and report in a well timed method.”
Taiwan sees frequent quakes as it’s positioned on the junction of two tectonic plates.
The April 3 quake was adopted by a whole lot of aftershocks, which prompted rockfalls round Hualien.
It was essentially the most critical in Taiwan since 1999, when a magnitude-7.6 hit the island.
The demise toll then was far increased — with 2,400 individuals killed within the deadliest pure catastrophe within the island’s historical past.
Stricter building rules — together with enhanced seismic necessities in its building codes — and widespread public catastrophe consciousness appeared to have staved off a extra critical disaster in April’s main quake.
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