According to the US Geological Survey, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan on Tuesday, producing landslides, collapsed home ceilings, and injured 27 people.
The shallow earthquake occurred just after midnight, and an AFP correspondent in Taipei’s capital experienced sensations for about a minute.
As reported by the USGS, the epicentre was located 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) north of Yujing, a district in southern Taiwan that grows mangoes.
Three people, including a kid, were rescued by firefighters from a fallen house in the neighbouring Nanxi area, according to Facebook footage that AFP confirmed.
Authorities reported that two individuals were rescued from lifts and that another person was hurt by falling debris.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said that the original earthquake had a magnitude of 6.4 and that more than 50 aftershocks had been registered.
According to the National Fire Agency, landslides and fallen rocks obstructed roadways, and the ceilings of multiple homes collapsed.
However, the agency stated that there was “no major damage” from the earthquake, which the health ministry said injured 27 people.
In the aftermath, Dapu Township in mountainous Chiayi County, north of the epicentre, and Nanxi district both cancelled office work and courses.
Weng Chang-Liang, the head of Chiayi County, stated that the water and electricity supply was impacted and that several Dapu roads were “damaged and impassable.”
The massive Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer TSMC reported that when the earthquake occurred, it evacuated employees from a few of its factories in the south and centre.
Credit: News24
Being on the brink of two tectonic plates close to the Pacific Ring of Fire—the USGS claims is the world’s most seismically active zone—makes Taiwan prone to earthquakes.
The last significant earthquake to strike the island was a fatal 7.4-magnitude tremor in April 2024, which authorities said was the strongest in 25 years.
That quake caused landslides and seriously destroyed structures in the vicinity of Hualien, killing at least 17 people.
Taiwan had its worst earthquake since a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in 1999, which occurred in April.
The biggest natural tragedy in the island’s history, the earthquake claimed the lives of about 2,400 people.
Since then, Taiwan’s building code has been improved and updated to include earthquake-resistant construction techniques, such as steel bars that make it easier for a building to sway as the ground shifts.
Taiwan, which is well known for its innovative technology companies, has developed a sophisticated early warning system that can notify the public of potentially dangerous ground tremors in a matter of seconds.
Even in some of the island’s most isolated areas, the system has been improved over time to include new resources like smartphones and high-speed data connectivity.
