In the late hours of Monday night, Taiwan’s capital experienced a series of seismic events, with the Central Weather Administration pinpointing the most potent as a magnitude-5.9 tremor originating in the eastern region of Hualien.
This area had previously been the epicenter of a magnitude-7.4 quake on April 3, triggering landslides that blocked mountainous roads and inflicted severe damage to structures in Hualien city. The aftermath claimed at least 17 lives, with the most recent victim discovered in a quarry on April 13.
The seismic activity on Monday commenced with a robust magnitude 5.5 quake striking around 5:08 pm, reverberating all the way to the capital, Taipei. Subsequent aftershocks and tremors followed, culminating in the most intense one at approximately 10:15 pm, as reported by AFP correspondents.
While the Central Weather Administration reported the final tremor as a magnitude-5.9 with a depth of 8.6 kilometers, the US Geological Survey differed slightly, registering it at 5.8 magnitude.
The Hualien fire department promptly dispatched teams to assess any potential damage caused by the quake, confirming by 10:30 pm that no significant reports had surfaced thus far.
Given Taiwan’s geographic location straddling two tectonic plates, seismic activity is a frequent occurrence. The recent quake on April 3 unleashed a barrage of aftershocks, resulting in rockfalls across Hualien. While reminiscent of the island’s deadliest quake in 1999, claiming 2,400 lives, stringent building codes and heightened public disaster awareness likely averted a more catastrophic outcome this April.
