The nation was shaken by a series of earthquakes yesterday, with the two biggest ones reaching magnitudes 5.8 and 5.5 at about noon yesterday. There were no reports of serious damage or injuries at press time last night.
The Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said the epicenter of the magnitude 5.8 earthquake, which struck at 11:17am, was 19.7km southeast of the Yilan County Government offices, with a depth of 17.5km.
The earthquake generated several aftershocks, with the largest one — a magnitude 5.5 temblor — occurring at 12:29pm.
Photo: CNA, provided by the crew of tourist boat Hung Chi Hao
Bureau data showed that the largest intensity generated by the main earthquake was level 6, which was detected at Nanao Township (南澳), Yilan County.
The intensity level also reached 3 in Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli, the bureau said.
The bureau attributed the quake to expansion in the Okinawa Sea trough.
Photo: CNA
Bureau Director-General Shin Tzay-chyn (辛在勤) said the area between Yilan and Hualien has the most fragmented strata in the nation because of frequent movement of tectonic plates.
He said that a series of aftershocks often ensue after a main earthquake, with some of the aftershocks having almost the same magnitude as the main one.
Fortunately, the fragmented strata have made the occurrence of the earthquakes exceeding magnitude 6.5 less likely, he said.
Media reports said the earthquakes caused minor damage, with some shops in Yilan reporting items falling off shelves.
A minor landslide was reported on Turtle Island (龜山島) off the coast of Yilan.
In Taipei, the windows of an E. Sun bank branch in Zhongshan District (中山) cracked. Power went out on some streets.
Several major tech companies said the earthquakes did not affect operations.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said its wafer fabs at the Hsinchu Science Park, the Central Taiwan Science Park and the Southern Taiwan Science Park were operating normally.
Its smaller rival, United Microelectronics Corp (聯電), said the quakes did not affect its operations at the Hsinchu Science Park and the Southern Taiwan Science Park.
The nation’s two leading flat-panel manufacturers — Innolux Corp (群創光電) and AU Optronics Corp (友達光電) — also reported no impact from the quakes.
Additional reporting by CNA
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