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11/21/2024 04:01:05 pm

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Earthquakes in Eastern Taiwan Sends Tremors Across Taipei

Taiwan Earthquake

(Photo : REUTERS/Frank Lin) Rescue workers search for survivors at a collapsed building after a strong earthquake shook Taiwan in December 2006. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck the island nation on Monday 19 Oct. 2015.

A series of temblors hit the eastern coast of Taiwan on Monday morning. According to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau, the earthquakes, which began in Hualien County about two hours before midnight on Sunday, lasted until after 4 p.m. on Monday.

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The bureau has announced that the earthquakes were caused by seismic activity in the Philippine, Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates.

Last week, there was a similar string of earthquakes - ranging from magnitude 3.5 to 4.5 - on the island. Kuo Kai-wen, the director of the Central Weather Bureau Seismology Center, who has described the temblors as "normal," explained that they were caused by a collision between the Philippine tectonic plate and the Eurasian tectonic plate. According to Kuo, these earthquakes occur due to the release of energy after the plates collide.

Tremors from the earthquakes on Monday were felt in buildings across Taipei, Reuters reported. The strongest earthquake was measured to have a magnitude of about 5.2. Focus Taiwan has revealed that the intensity of the earthquake was strongest in Yilan County and New Taipei. At the moment, it is unclear if there are any injuries, casualties or damage to buildings as a result of the earthquakes.

Since September, Taiwan has experienced more than 100 temblors. Being a seismically active zone, Taiwan is prone to experiencing multiple earthquakes every year. However, Kuo admits that they are occurring more frequently.

In April, one casualty was recorded after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit the country. Officials later revealed that the victim - an old man - died during a fire outbreak in his home after the earthquake led to the explosion of a transformer.

Earthquakes in Taiwan generally measure less than magnitude 7.0. The last time an earthquake of that magnitude struck the island was in December 2006.

In Sept. 1999, Taiwan suffered from one of the most severe earthquakes in its history. The temblor, which was measured to have a magnitude of 7.7, left nearly 2,500 people dead and led to the destruction of more than 51,000 properties.  

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