An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale rattled the nation yesterday morning, while another temblor of almost the same magnitude occurred five hours later, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday.
The bureau said that the first earthquake struck at 9am, with the epicenter located 37km southeast of the observation station in Mingchien (民間), Nantou County.
The earthquake was felt nationwide, with Tsaolin (草嶺) in Yunlin County registering the highest intensity at 4.
The depth of the earthquake was 13.3km, the bureau said.
Another earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale struck at 2:10pm.
The epicenter was 15km northwest of the CWB’s observation station in Yuli (玉里), Hualien County.
The earthquake was 2.5km deep and the highest intensity of 5 was felt in Hongyeh (紅葉), Hualien County.
Because Nantou suffered the most damage in the 921 Earthquake in 1999, yesterday morning’s quake reminded some residents of the traumatic experiences they had 10 years ago.
SHAKING
Eastern TV News broadcast an interview with residents in Chichi (集集), Nantou County, the epicenter of the 921 Earthquake.
One man said yesterday’s quake felt like it was only slightly smaller than the 921 quake.
Another woman said she was so terrified that she could not even run.
The director of the CWB’s seismological center, Kuo Kai-wen (郭鎧紋), said the earthquake in Mingchien occurred because of the extrusion of the Philippine sea plate and the Eurasia plate.
“The energy had built up and needed to be released,” Kuo said. “A big earthquake occurs when more of that energy is released.”
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS