A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit the nation yesterday morning, delaying several trains operating on the North-Link Line between Suao (蘇澳) in Ilan County and Hualien, but causing no major damage to infrastructure or casualties.
According to the Central Weather Bureau, the temblor occurred at 5am, with the epicenter located 70.2km southeast of Yilan County. The depth of the earthquake was 61.9km.
Four aftershocks were reported, with a magnitude 5.1 aftershock occurring at 5:54am.
The largest intensity, of five, was detected in Nanao (南澳) in Yilan County and Heping (和平) in Hualien County.
The earthquake also generated an intensity of four in Wufenshan (五分山) in New Taipei City (新北市), Hualien City, Yilan City and Deji (德基) in Greater Taichung.
Taipei, Taoyuan City and several others recorded an intensity of three.
The earthquake in Nanao and Heping lasted more than 40 seconds, but only reached peak intensity for between 2.36 seconds and 0.18 seconds respectively.
Though no deaths, injuries or major damage was reported as of press time, the earthquake caused six trains operating on the North-Link Line to slow down. It was also the second earthquake this year with a magnitude exceeding six.
Earlier this year, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Wutai (霧台) Township in Pingtung County shook the nation.
The nation’s two major science parks emerged unscathed from the earthquake, the parks’ administrations said late yesterday.
Officials at the Hsinchu Science Park and Southern Taiwan Science Park in Greater Tainan and Greater Kaohsiung said that no companies operating in the complexes were affected by the earthquake.
Hsinchu Science Park Administration deputy director-general Tu Chi-hsiang (杜啟祥) said that no immediate damage was reported from the largest science-based industrial park in Taiwan, because the earthquake only registered an intensity of two in Hsinchu City.
Meanwhile, major operators at the Southern Taiwan Science Park, including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電), Chimei Innolux Corp (奇美電子) and HannStar Display Corp (瀚宇彩晶), did not report any automatic shutdowns at their plants.
The earthquake had an intensity of three in Greater Tainan and two in Greater Kaohsiung, which would not trigger automatic shutdowns, which are necessitated only by an intensity of more than three, said Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration deputy director Lin Wei-cheng (林威呈) said.
On April 9, TSMC held a groundbreaking ceremony in the South Taiwan Science Park for a new manufacturing facility where it will expand production of leading-edge 20-nanometer technology.
UMC also started construction last month of a 12-inch wafer plant in the Southern Taiwan Science Park to produce chips for the 28, 20 and 14 nanometer processes.
Lin said these new facilities were unharmed by the earthquake because they are designed to resist quakes with an intensity of up to five.
Additional reporting by CNA
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in
RSS