TAIPEI, Taiwan — A significant earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale struck southern Taiwan early Tuesday morning, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. The tremor resulted in minor injuries for 15 individuals.

The earthquake occurred at 12:17 a.m. local time (1600 GMT Monday) with its epicenter located approximately 12 kilometers (7 miles) north of Yujing at an initial depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration recorded a slightly higher magnitude of 6.4.

Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of fatalities following the quake, but rescue teams were still in the process of evaluating the damage. Taiwan’s fire department confirmed that 15 individuals were taken to hospitals for treatment of minor injuries. Notably, six people, including a child, were rescued from a collapsed structure in the Nanxi District of Tainan city. Additionally, damage was reported on the Zhuwei bridge on a provincial highway.

This seismic event comes on the heels of a more severe earthquake last April, which registered a magnitude of 7.4 and impacted the mountainous eastern coast of Hualien. That incident resulted in at least 13 fatalities and over 1,000 injuries, leading to a series of aftershocks that rattled the region.

Taiwan is situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area known for its high seismic activity due to the presence of numerous fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean, where the majority of the world’s earthquakes are concentrated.