Aftershocks struck southeastern Taiwan on Monday, including a 5.5-magnitude earthquake that was felt in the capital Taipei, a day after a more powerful tremor killed one person and injured around 150 others.

The latest quake hit around 10 am (0200 GMT), 66 kilometres (41 miles) south-southwest of the coastal city of Hualien at a depth of 13 kilometres, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Taiwan's central weather bureau put the magnitude at 5.9.

Rural and sparsely populated southeastern Taiwan has been rattled by a series of jolts since Saturday.

The most powerful, a 6.9-magnitude quake, struck on Sunday afternoon, tearing up roads and bringing down a handful of houses in the town of Yuli where at least one person was killed.

Four others were rescued from a collapsed building, while authorities said a total of 146 suffered injuries.

Taiwan is regularly hit by quakes and most cause minimal damage but the island also has a long history of deadly disasters.

Hualien, a tourist hotspot, was struck by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in 2018 that killed 17 people and injured nearly 300.

In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude quake killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.

Strong quake strikes eastern Taiwan, tsunami threat lifted
Taipei (AFP) Sept 18, 2022 - A strong earthquake struck southeastern Taiwan on Sunday, killing at least one person, bringing down a handful of buildings and tearing up roads -- but forecasters said the threat of a regional tsunami had passed.

The quake hit at 2:44 pm (0644 GMT) about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the city of Taitung at a depth of 10 kilometres, the United States Geological Survey said.

Its initial strength was given as magnitude 7.2 but the USGS later downgraded it to 6.9. Multiple aftershocks were recorded.

Japan's Meteorological Agency and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued tsunami advisories shortly after the quake, but both later said there was no longer a threat of high waves.

Taiwan's National Fire Agency said one person was killed by falling machinery at a cement factory in the town of Yuli, which lay close to the epicentre.

The health ministry said 79 people either sought medical treatment or were sent to hospital.

At least three buildings collapsed in Yuli, including one that had a 7-Eleven convenience store on the ground floor.

Video footage posted by Taiwan's Central News Agency showed panicked residents running towards the building, which sent up a thick cloud of dust as it caved in.

The Hualien fire department said four people who were trapped in the building were rescued.

Two other buildings in the town collapsed but no one was inside them, the department added. Two nearby bridges collapsed and two others were damaged.

The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) said a train derailed at Dongli station in Hualien after it was hit by concrete from an overhead canopy that came loose during the quake.

TRA said the 20 passengers on board were evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Shaking was also felt in the capital Taipei and the southwestern city of Kaohsiung, with residents posting videos of chandeliers and paintings swaying on social media.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen urged people to be vigilant for further aftershocks.

"Water and electricity supplies in some areas are also affected by the earthquake," she wrote on Facebook. "The related disaster relief work is in full swing."

- Broken bridge, swimming pool waves -

Many expressed the kind of resilience that comes with living on an island that frequently experiences earthquakes.

In one video posted online, a man said he was trapped on a bridge where the road at either end had collapsed into a twisted mess of tarmac and concrete.

"This is troublesome," he could be heard saying. "The whole bridge is broken".

Ou Chin Te shared footage from the swimming pool on the 60th floor of The One -- a skyscraper in Kaohsiung and Taiwan's fourth-highest building.

The tremors had turned the pool into a wobbly mass of waves.

"When the quake struck the lifeguard shouted to get out and we all left the pool," he told AFP.

"Everyone was really scared. I was so frightened at the moment that I didn't really know what to do."

A 6.6-magnitude quake hit the same region on Saturday and there have been multiple tremors since, with minimal damage in what is a mountainous and sparsely populated rural region.

But Sunday's quake was stronger.

The China Earthquake Network Centre said tremors were felt in coastal areas including Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shanghai.

Taiwan sits on the "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Most of Taiwan's population lives on the flat western coast and in the capital Taipei.

The scenic eastern coast is more remote and less populated but a major tourist draw.

There are few international tourists in Taiwan these days because the island maintains mandatory Covid quarantine for most arrivals.

Taiwan is regularly hit by quakes and most cause minimal damage but the island also has a long history of deadly tremors.

Hualien, a tourist hotspot, was struck by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in 2018 that killed 17 people and injured nearly 300.

In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude quake killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Papua New Guinea quake toll rises to 10
Port Moresby (AFP) Sept 15, 2022
The death toll from a massive earthquake in Papua New Guinea rose to 10 on Thursday, officials said, as communities in remote areas struggled to recover from widespread damage. Four days after a 7.6 tremor levelled hundreds of homes, split roads and caused power outages across the rugged jungle-clad north of the country, the scale of the disaster was still coming into focus. The national disaster management agency said the death toll now stood at 10, including a 16-year-old girl who was killed b ... read more