Earthquake of Magnitude 6.4 Strikes Taiwan’s East Coast, Tremors Felt Widely

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake jolted offshore Taiwan on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, with AFP journalists noting buildings swaying in the capital, Taipei.

Firefighters were deployed to assess the effects of the moderate quake, located 71 kilometers (44 miles) south of Hualien City.

It shook off of the island's east coast at a depth of about 31 kilometers, the USGS said.

"When the earthquake struck, the computer screen and fan shook heavily," said a firefighter in the coastal town of Chenggong.

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"It was much stronger than previous quakes. I immediately thought about running outside," he told AFP.

The Hualien and Taitung fire departments informed AFP there were no initial reports of damage or injuries.

There were also no interruptions on the eastern railway line and even evening services operating normally, after the quake struck at 7:00 pm (1100 GMT) as reported by the USGS.

Taitung firefighter Andrew Liu, said 25 firefighters and volunteer firefighters had been sent out, with five vehicles deployed to coastal areas closest to the epicenter to check for damages.

"Because the area is remote and distances between locations are long, it will take more time to reach each site," Liu told AFP.

Enhancing quake readiness

Taiwan is hit by earthquakes regularly and is located on the edges of two tectonic plates which makes it part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which according to the USGS, is the most seismically active area in the world.

The last major earthquake happened in April 2024 when the island hit a deadly 7.4 magnitude earthquake, which official stated was the strongest in 25 years.

In the 2024 earthquake, at least 17 people were killed which had landslides and building severity were damaged throughout Hualien.

It was the most serious in Taiwan since a 7.6-magnitude tremor struck in 1999.

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Some 2,400 people died in that quake, making it the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.

Since then, Taiwan has upgraded the building code to require quake-resistant construction methods, including the use of steel bars to make it easier for a building to sway when the ground shakes.

Taiwan, known for its advanced tech companies, has established an early warning system that will notify the public if significant ground shaking is expected, within seconds.

The early warning system has progressively developed over the years and grown to include tools, like smartphones and the most advanced data sharing, all while including some of the island's most remote areas.

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