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
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
PEACE AND STABILITY: Maintaining the cross-strait ‘status quo’ has long been the government’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and seeks no escalation of tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, rebutting a Time magazine opinion piece that described President William Lai (賴清德) as a “reckless leader.” The article, titled “The US Must Beware of Taiwan’s Reckless Leader,” was written by Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank. Goldstein wrote that Taiwan is “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint” amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has become less stable
CONCESSION: A Shin Kong official said that the firm was ‘willing to contribute’ to the nation, as the move would enable Nvidia Crop to build its headquarters in Taiwan Shin Kong Life Insurance Co (新光人壽) yesterday said it would relinquish land-use rights, or known as surface rights, for two plots in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), paving the way for Nvidia Corp to expand its office footprint in Taiwan. The insurer said it made the decision “in the interest of the nation’s greater good” and would not seek compensation from taxpayers for potential future losses, calling the move a gesture to resolve a months-long impasse among the insurer, the Taipei City Government and the US chip giant. “The decision was made on the condition that the Taipei City Government reimburses the related
FRESH LOOK: A committee would gather expert and public input on the themes and visual motifs that would appear on the notes, the central bank governor said The central bank has launched a comprehensive redesign of New Taiwan dollar banknotes to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures, improve accessibility and align the bills with global sustainability standards, Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) told a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday. The overhaul would affect all five denominations — NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1,000 and NT$2,000 notes — but not coins, Yang said. It would be the first major update to the banknotes in 24 years, as the current series, introduced in 2001, has remained in circulation amid rapid advances in printing technology and security standards. “Updating the notes is essential to safeguard the integrity
RSS