Taiwan sees earthquake for second consecutive day, tremors felt in Taipei
Taiwanese Weather Bureau says the country has witnessed a 6.8 magnitude earthquake with its epicentre in Taitung county and a depth of 7 kilometers
PremiumTaiwan's weather bureau has said a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Sunday which led to train carriages being derailed and caused a convenience store to collapse. The earthquake occurred close to Taitung on the southeast coast at a relatively shallow depth of 7 kilometers.
The U.S. Geological Survey, however, measures the earthquake at a magnitude 7.2 and at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The bureau says epicentre of the earthquake was in Taitung county which had seen a 6.4 magnitude temblor on Saturday and numerous aftershocks since then.
The county government in Hualien, which is close to Taitung, said that two people were trapped in a building housing a convenience store that collapsed in Yuli, while rescue efforts were underway for three people who fell off a damaged bridge.
According to reports, Three carriages came off the rails at Dongli station in eastern Taiwan after a portion of the platform canopy collapsed. However, around 20 passengers onboard had been safely evacuated and were uninjured.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for several southern Japanese islands near Taiwan but later lifted it. Earlier, U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had also issued a warning for Taiwan but rescinded it later.
Weather Bureau says that while the quake could be felt across Taiwan buildings shook briefly in the country's capital Taipei. Science parks in southern cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung which are home to major semiconductor factories have reported no impact on their operations due to recent tremors.
Due to its location at the meeting point of two tectonic plates, Taiwan is vulnerable to earthquakes. In 2016, a quake in southern Taiwan claimed the lives of over 100 people, while a 7.3 magnitude quake in 1999 claimed the lives of over 2,000 people.
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