World

Taiwan rattled by dozens of quakes, no major damage

By AAP Newswire

Apr 23, 2024

Series of quakes rattle Taiwan, centred on east coast — A series of earthquakes has rattled Taiwan weeks after a 7.3 magnitude quake killed 14 people. -EPA

Taiwan's quake-hit county of Hualien has been rattled by dozens of aftershocks, but only minor was damage reported and no casualties.

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Largely rural and sparsely populated Hualien was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on April 3 which killed at least 14 people and there have been more than 1000 aftershocks since.

Buildings shook late on Monday and early Tuesday across large parts of northern, eastern and western Taiwan, including in the capital Taipei, swayed throughout the night at intervals, with the largest quake measuring a 6.3 magnitude. All were very shallow.

Fallen rocks block passage near the Taroko National Park, following the April 3 earthquake in Taiwan (EPA PHOTO)

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said the spate of earthquakes starting Monday afternoon - which it put at around 180 - were aftershocks from the large earthquake earlier in April.

The Hualien fire department said two buildings, which were already uninhabited after being damaged in the April 3 tremor, sustained further damage and were leaning at an angle.

There were no reports of any casualties.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2000 people in 1999.Â