Multiple Quakes Struck Taiwan, With Strongest Measured At 6.3 Magnitude

Hualien, Taiwan’s quake-hit eastern county, was shaken by dozens of aftershocks late Monday and early Tuesday.

Buildings across large parts of northern, eastern, and western Taiwan, including in the capital, Taipei, trembled all night, with the strongest quake registering 6.3 magnitude.

According to the weather agency, the quake reached a depth of 5.5 kilometres (3.4 miles).

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said the series of earthquakes that began Monday afternoon, numbering around 180, were aftershocks following the big April 3 quake.

Hualien was struck by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on April 3 that killed at least 14 people, and there have been over 1,000 aftershocks since then.

Wu Chien-fu, director of the Seismological Centre, stated that the aftershocks were a concentrated release of energy and that more could be expected, albeit not as severe.

“With heavy rain predicted for all of Taiwan this week, people in Hualien need to be prepared for further disruption”, Chien-fu continued.

The Hualien Fire Department reported that two buildings, which were already uninhabited after being damaged on April 3, had sustained additional damage and were leaning.

There were no reported casualties.

Taiwan is located near the confluence of two tectonic plates, making it prone to earthquakes.

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