Powerful quake rocks Taiwan

TAIPEI (AFP) May 19, 2004
An earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale hit Taiwan Wednesday, shaking buildings in Taipei, the Seismology Center said.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Buildings in the capital shook for about a minute and the quake was felt islandwide.

The tremor struck at 3:04 pm (0704 GMT), with the epicenter 25.6 kilometers (15.36 miles) east of Chengkung, a coastal town in the southeast of the island.

Its focus was 8.7 kilometers below sea level.

Taiwan, lying near the junction of two tectonic plates, is prone to earthquakes. A quake with a magnitude of 5.8 shook Taiwan on May 1, killing two Taiwanese and injuring a Canadian tourist.

On September 21, 1999, a quake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck central Taiwan, leaving 2,400 people dead.

A 6.6 magnitude quake shook Taiwan on December 10, 2003, but caused minor injuries and damage.

TERRA.WIRE