An Earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude struck Taiwan on Saturday evening, violently shaking the eastern coast and the capital Taipei, according to the country’s weather authorities and international monitoring agencies.
Strong Shaking Felt Across Northern Taiwan
The earthquake struck at around 3:05 PM local time, with its epicentre located roughly 31 kilometres east-southeast of Yilan County, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake occurred at a depth of 68 kilometres.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration (CWA) rated the tremor at magnitude 7.0, reporting level 4 intensity shaking in Taipei. Residents described strong swaying, elevators stopping abruptly, and office workers rushing outdoors as buildings rocked.
Residents Call It Strongest Tremor in Years
Many locals said the shaking was among the strongest felt in the capital since the devastating 1996 earthquake. Social media users shared videos showing furniture shaking and lights swinging inside buildings, with some claiming the tremors lasted nearly a minute. The authenticity of these clips could not be independently verified.
Despite the intensity, no casualties or injuries were immediately reported. Authorities credited Taiwan’s strict seismic building codes for preventing major damage.
Aftershocks Monitored, No Tsunami Threat
Officials said they are closely monitoring for aftershocks in the seismically active region. There was no tsunami warning, and emergency services remained on standby as precautionary inspections continued across affected areas.
This was the second significant earthquake in Taiwan this week, following a 6.0-magnitude tremor reported on Wednesday.
Taiwan’s Earthquake History
Taiwan lies near the junction of major tectonic plates, making it highly prone to earthquakes. In 2016, a powerful quake in southern Taiwan killed more than 100 people. Earlier, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake in 1999 claimed over 2,000 lives, marking one of the deadliest disasters in the island’s history.
6.6 Earthquake Hits Philippine Sea
In a related development, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Philippine Sea later on Saturday, according to the National Center for Seismology. The quake occurred at a depth of 65 kilometres.
The broader region sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a highly active seismic belt stretching across the Pacific Ocean.
