No abnormalities have been detected in a series of aftershocks following a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Jiasian Township (甲仙), Kaohsiung County, last Thursday, a seismologist said yesterday.
Kuo Kai-wen (郭鎧紋), director of the Central Weather Bureau's Seismology Center, made the announcement to calm anxious Jiasian residents, many of whom were rattled by magnitude 4.1 and magnitude 3.7 aftershocks that struck their hometown early yesterday.
Since last week's temblor, more than 300 aftershocks have been recorded, more than 10 of which were above magnitude 3, Seismology Center data showed.
Kuo said the aftershocks reflected the normal release of energy and were no cause for alarm.
“Hundreds or even thousands of aftershocks can occur after a big earthquake as energy is released,” Kuo said.
Both the number and scale of the Jiasian quake aftershocks fell within the normal range, Kuo said, adding that the number of aftershocks had declined to one or two per hour.
“There may still be an aftershock measuring 3 or 4 over the next few days, but people should not be overly worried about them,” Kuo said.
As to whether Taiwan has entered a seismically active period, Kuo said no special trend had been detected, Kuo said.
Taiwan records an average of 3.6 magnitude 6 or higher earthquakes annually. Last year, four quakes of such magnitude were recorded, compared with zero in 2008.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
RSS