Sat, May 11, 2024 page3

• Taiwan News Quick Take

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  SEISMICITY

  Quake rattles Hualien

  An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale struck off Hualien County at 3:45pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.8km northeast of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 10km, CWA data showed. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the shaking, was highest where Hualien and Yilan counties meet, measuring 4 on Taiwan’s seven-tier scale. No immediate damage or injuries were reported. Earlier in the day, three earthquakes struck off Hualien county five minutes apart. The first of the three smaller quakes, a magnitude 5.1 quake, hit at 9:35am, with its hypocenter 31.2km south of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 10km, CWA data showed. A magnitude 5.0 quake occurred at 9:37am 15.2km south of the county hall at a depth of 10km and a magnitude 4.1 event occurred at 9:40am 14.7km south of the hall at a depth of 4.2km, the data showed.

  AGRICULTURE

  Hualien vouchers announced

  The Ministry of Agriculture is to issue vouchers for agricultural products from Hualien County as part of the government’s post-quake recovery effort following an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale that hit Taiwan on April 3, the ministry said yesterday. More than 700,000 vouchers would be issued on July 1 to boost the county’s agricultural sales and revitalize the quake-battered local economy, ministry official Lin Chang-li (林長立) said. Each voucher would be valued at NT$250 (US$7.71), but the amount might be increased, Lin said. The government-run Rural Rejuvenation Fund would provide NT$183 million to finance the vouchers, he said. An app would be released for people to access the vouchers, he said.

  SOLAR ACTIVITY

  Flare disruption not expected

  People in Taiwan are not expected to be affected by a severe solar flare, which is expected to hit Earth early today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The solar flare — a sudden burst of brightness in localized areas of the sun’s atmosphere — could last for a day and disrupt high-frequency radio communications, the CWA said in a report. However, the space event is not likely to affect the public, as everyday communication devices such as mobile phones, wireless networks and Bluetooth use different frequency bands, it said. Still, the disruptions could potentially affect aviation, navigation and positioning systems, it said.

  CRIME

  Two juveniles charged

  Two juveniles, a boy and a girl, allegedly involved in a homicide case at a New Taipei City junior-high school, on Thursday were charged with murder following an investigation by the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office. On Dec. 25 last year, a male student was seriously injured by a male student wielding a switchblade knife. The injured boy died in a hospital. He had apparently had an argument with the girl, who asked the alleged attacker to help her confront him, investigators said. Initially, a juvenile court placed the suspects in protective custody. However, on March 21, the court transferred the case to the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office. Due to provisions of juvenile law, prosecutors will not disclose further information about the case beyond saying that both juveniles are being prosecuted for their alleged involvement in a serious crime carrying penalties of at least five years in prison.
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