Over 80 earthquakes, with the most powerful measuring 6.3 magnitude, rocked Taiwan’s eastern coastline from Monday night through the early hours of Tuesday. As per Reuters, structures in northern, eastern, and western Taiwan, including Taipei, the capital, experienced swaying throughout the night, but no reports of damage or casualties emerged immediately. All the quakes were shallow in depth.
These tremors follow a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that hit the country earlier this month, claiming 14 lives. There have been more than 1,000 aftershocks since.
Tuesday’s quake had its epicentre near Hualien, about 28 kilometres south of the city. It happened about 10.7 kilometres deep underground. There were also six other quakes in the area, ranging from magnitude 4.5 to magnitude 6, all centred around Hualien, reported the Associated Press, citing the U.S. Geological Survey.
Taiwan is no stranger to massive quakes; however, reports suggest that their impact on the island’s 23 million residents has been relatively limited. These stats clearly showcase their exceptional preparedness. Taiwan maintains stringent construction regulations and conducts extensive public education initiatives on earthquake safety.
Over 100 individuals lost their lives in a seismic event in southern Taiwan back in 2016, while in 1999, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Taiwan resulted in the tragic loss of 2,400 lives.