Taiwan Shaken by Series of Earthquakes, Residents Frightened and Buildings Toppled
Taiwan was hit by a series of powerful earthquakes on Monday and early Tuesday, leaving residents shaken and fearful as aftershocks from a deadly quake three weeks ago continued to rock the island. The strongest quake, with a magnitude of 6.3, partially toppled four buildings in Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast.
The tremors began on Monday evening with a 5.5 magnitude quake, followed by a series of smaller tremors in the same area. Schools and offices in Hualien County were ordered to close on Tuesday as a precaution, and some residents were evacuated from their homes. Thankfully, no injuries or deaths were reported by Tuesday morning.
According to Wu Chien-fu, the director of the Taiwanese Central Weather Administration’s Seismological Center, the quakes were aftershocks from the magnitude 7.4 quake that struck on April 3, killing 17 people. The epicenter of both earthquakes was in the Hualien County area.
By Tuesday morning, more than 180 aftershocks had been recorded in the previous 24 hours, with the strongest hitting at magnitudes of 6 and 6.3. Residents like Chen Mei-hui, a retired saleswoman in Hualien, expressed their fear and anxiety over the ongoing tremors.
“I have been unable to sleep well since the earthquake this month,” Chen said. “We can only pray that our house is strong enough to get us through this difficult time.”
The Central Weather Administration continues to monitor the situation closely as Taiwan remains on high alert for further seismic activity.
