News
Scores of earthquakes strike Hualien
Hualien has seen scores of quakes all night - ranging from upwards of magnitude 3 - and both schools and offices in the county are closed today due to the continuous occurrence of earthquakes and aftershocks.
A hotel in Hualien City has tilted following this morning's magnitude 6.3 earthquake. However, authorities say no one was trapped in the building and it has been closed while undergoing renovation. Meanwhile, another building on Mingli Road in Hualien City also tilted during this morning's earthquakes. Officials say that building was listed as "code red" structure following the 3 April quake and was due to be demolished. Police and firefighters have cordoned off areas adjacent to both buildings.
The largest of the overnight quakes was of magnitude 6.3 earthquake – and that struck at 02:32 at a depth of 5.5 kilometres and was centred in Shoufeng Township, some 17 kilometres south-southwest of Hualien County Hall. It came six minutes after a magnitude 6 earthquake struck. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck at 04:49 and a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck at 05:31. All four of those earthquakes were felt islandwide. A total of 93 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher hit Hualien County from 17:08 on Monday until 06:00 this morning - with 23 of them exceeding a magnitude of 5.
The Taiwan Railways Corporation says its West Coast Lines are both operating on regular schedules. The South Link Line is also running on a regular schedule. However, services on the east coast line are partially disrupted and delays are possible. The Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation has not announced any changes to its services.
