6.0-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Taiwan
AFP/APP
Taipei: A 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported, injuring 27 people and causing ceilings in homes to cave in, according to local authorities.
An AFP journalist in the capital, Taipei, felt tremors for nearly a minute as the shallow quake struck shortly after midnight. The epicenter was recorded 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) north of Yujing, a mango-growing district in southern Taiwan, the USGS stated.
Video posted on Facebook and verified by AFP showed local fire authorities rescuing three people, including a child, trapped in a collapsed house in nearby Nanxi district. The ceilings of several other houses in the district also caved in.
Elsewhere, a person was injured by falling debris, while two others were rescued from elevators, authorities said.
The health ministry reported a total of 27 injuries. However, the Nanxi district fire brigade confirmed that “no major damage” had been reported.
Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC evacuated workers from some of its central and southern factories as a precaution. In Chiayi City, north of Yujing, CCTV footage shared on Threads and verified by AFP showed shelves swaying and goods falling to the floor.
Taiwan frequently experiences earthquakes due to its location at the convergence of two tectonic plates near the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most seismically active zone globally, according to USGS.
The last major earthquake in Taiwan occurred in April 2024 when the island was struck by a deadly 7.4-magnitude tremor, the strongest in 25 years. That quake claimed at least 17 lives, triggered landslides, and severely damaged buildings around Hualien.
Taiwan’s most devastating earthquake in recent history occurred in 1999 when a 7.6-magnitude tremor killed approximately 2,400 people, marking the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.
Since then, Taiwan has significantly enhanced its building codes to incorporate quake-resistant construction techniques, such as using steel bars that enable structures to sway during ground movement.
Famous for its advanced tech industry, Taiwan has also developed a state-of-the-art early warning system to alert the public to potentially severe ground shaking within seconds. This system now integrates tools like smartphones and high-speed data connectivity, ensuring warnings reach even the island’s most remote regions.
