TAIPEI, Taiwan — A significant earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale jolted southern Taiwan early Tuesday morning, resulting in 27 individuals sustaining minor injuries and various reports of structural damage.
The earthquake struck at 12:17 a.m. and had its epicenter located 38 kilometers (24 miles) southeast of the Chiayi County Hall, occurring at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), according to the Central Weather Administration of Taiwan. The U.S. Geological Survey has assessed the earthquake’s strength as a 6.0.
There were numerous accounts of minor to moderate damage observed in the cities of Chiayi and Tainan.
The fire department in Taiwan reported that 27 people were taken to hospitals to receive treatment for their injuries. This group included six individuals, notably a one-month-old infant, who were rescued from a house that had collapsed in the Nanxi district of Tainan. Additionally, damage was reported on the Zhuwei bridge located on a provincial highway.
Thankfully, there have been no fatalities linked to the earthquake, although rescue teams are continuing to evaluate the extent of the damage caused.
In Tainan, two individuals and another person in Chiayi city were freed from elevators in which they had been trapped, and thankfully, they emerged unharmed.
The earthquake also triggered a fire at a printing facility in Chiayi; however, it was promptly extinguished, and no injuries were reported in connection with that incident.
Last April, a more powerful tremor measuring 7.4 struck the island’s eastern coast near Hualien, leading to the deaths of at least 13 people and injuries to over 1,000 others. That earthquake was the most powerful experienced in 25 years and resulted in hundreds of aftershocks.
Taiwan is situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area known for its seismic activity where a significant number of the world’s earthquakes occur.
