6.5 magnitude quake felt island-wide: no major damage reported
A 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan’s northeastern Yilan County was felt island wide and caused minor delays in rail and metro services Sunday afternoon, but no major damage or casualties were reported.
The quake struck at 1:11 pm at a depth of 68.6 kilometers, 22.7 kilometers south of the Yilan County Hall, according to data from the Central Weather Bureau (CWB). The maximum magnitude was felt as a magnitude 4 in Yilan County, Greater Taipei, Taoyuan County, and Hualien County.
The first quake was followed by an aftershock of magnitude 5.4 just one minute later .
Taipei City Metro and Taoyuan Airport MRT trains stopped during the earthquake. Around 5 minutes later, trains proceeded slowly to the next station where passengers alighted according to standard operating procedure.
Station and track inspections followed and normal services resumed on the Taipei Metro at 1:50 pm, and the Airport MRT at 2:15 pm.
Some minor damage reports were received by the Taipei City Fire Department, including a collapsed and ruptured rooftop water tank, burst water pipes, and a gas leak.
In Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, a crane boom twisted and bent, but fortunately did not break and fall from the top of a 20-storey high-rise building under construction on Zhongyang Road. The fire department has cordoned off a street below the construction site until safety checks are completed.
Although earthquakes in the vicinity of Yilan County are frequent, the CWB’s Earthquake Observation and Reporting Center said that today’s earthquake was the strongest in the area in the last 30 years. The CWB also said that aftershocks of more than magnitude four can be expected over the next three days.
Cover picture: USGS.
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