A magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook the region of Hualien in eastern Taiwan on Monday (June 20), according to the US Seismological Institute (USGS). No casualties or damage have been reported so far.
The USGS said the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers at 9:05 a.m. (01:05 GMT). The video, shot near the lake, showing the ground shaking suddenly, was posted on Facebook by Hualien National Park. «It’s a big earthquake … I hope everyone is safe.“We read in the caption, in which it is added that the shots were taken by one of the video surveillance cameras of the park.
An AFP correspondent in Taipei said he felt the country was shaking. The quake affected the entire island, local media reported. The metro traffic in the capital Taipei has been interrupted for a short time, the passenger reports.
A region that is regularly exposed to earthquakes
According to the Taiwan Meteorological Service, a tremor of less magnitude was registered about half an hour later. «There have been only two earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 6.0 in this (earthquake-affected) area since 1990, և one with a magnitude of about 6.0.Chen Kuo Chang, head of the Seismological Center of the Central Meteorological Bureau of Taiwan, told a news conference. «The weakest today is և we think it may be related to activity (fault).He added that the meteorological office did not rule out the possibility of 5.0 magnitude aftershocks in the next two days.
Taiwan և its environs are regularly exposed to earthquakes due to the proximity of two tectonic plates. Earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher can cause casualties, depending on where they occur and how deep they are. UGSC classified this event as “green“Given that there is little risk that it could cause injury or damage. According to Chen Kuo Chang, the largest number of earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 was recorded in 1999 – 13 in total. Taiwan was devastated by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in its history that year. In September, it caused more than 2,400 deaths.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.