Taiwan’s capital was shaken by a “strong” 5.5 magnitude earthquake, just days after another large tremor left 17 dead.
The Central Meteorological Administration (CWA) said the powerful earthquake originated in eastern Hualien early Monday afternoon.
The region was the epicenter of a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that occurred on April 3, triggering landslides around the mountainous region that blocked roads, while buildings in the main city of Hualien were severely damaged.
At least 17 people died in the earthquake and the last body was discovered on April 13 in a quarry.
Monday’s earthquake struck Taiwan around 5:08 p.m. local time and could be felt in the capital, Taipei.
Taiwan was shaken by a powerful 5.5 magnitude earthquake on Monday
Monday’s earthquake struck Taiwan around 5:08 p.m. local time and could be felt in the capital, Taipei.
The United States Geological Survey estimated it at a magnitude of 5.3, with a depth of 8.9 kilometers.
“It felt like one of the strongest earthquakes or aftershocks since the big earthquake earlier this month,” a Taiwanese journalist told AFP.
The Hualien fire department said in a brief post on its official social media channel that they had sent teams to inspect any disaster caused by the earthquake.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and report back in a timely manner.”
According to the CWA, four earthquakes of magnitude between 4.1 and 5.3 have been recorded off the coast of Hualien County since midnight Sunday.
Taiwan suffers from frequent earthquakes as it is located at the junction of two tectonic plates.
The April 3 earthquake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, causing rockfalls around Hualien.
It was the most severe to hit Taiwan since 1999, when a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit the island.
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred on April 3 shortly before 8:00 a.m. local time, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) placed the epicenter 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien in Taiwan, at a depth of 34.8 kilometers.
The death toll then was much higher: 2,400 people died in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.
Stricter building regulations – including improved seismic requirements in their building codes – and widespread public awareness of disasters appeared to have prevented a more serious catastrophe with April’s big earthquake.
Images of the terrible earthquake showed roads completely washed away by landslides, with rocks breaking the asphalt into pieces.
Large-scale rescue efforts were underway as workers rushed to free dozens of people who were trapped under the rubble of their homes.
In shocking footage, morning news broadcasts were disrupted by the brutal shaking, with a clip from newsroom cameras showing studio lights swinging from the ceiling as a newscaster was nearly knocked over as the ground shook beneath their feet.
About 80 people were trapped in highway tunnels around Hualien, where today’s earthquake occurred, and up to 70 workers were trapped in a pair of mines in the same area, Taiwanese authorities confirmed at the time.
Dramatic images were shown on local television of multi-story structures in Hualien and elsewhere leaning after it was completed, while a warehouse in New Taipei City collapsed.
The mayor said more than 50 survivors had been successfully rescued from the ruins of the structure.
‘I wanted to run, but I wasn’t dressed. “It was very loud,” said Kelvin Hwang, a hotel guest in the capital, Taipei, who sought refuge in the ninth-floor elevator lobby.
‘Earthquakes are common and I have become accustomed to them. But today was the first time an earthquake scared me to tears,’ said Taipei resident Hsien-hsuen Keng.
‘The earthquake woke me up. I have never felt such an intense tremor before.’
He said his fifth-floor apartment shook so hard that “aside from earthquake drills in elementary school, this was the first time I experienced such a situation.”