Strong quake hits off southern Taiwan, no threat
February 15th, 2011 - 3:11 pm ICT by BNO NewsTAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN (BNO NEWS) — A strong earthquake struck off the coast of southern Taiwan on Tuesday afternoon, seismologists said, but no damage or casualties were reported.
The 5.7-magnitude earthquake at 3.18 p.m. local time (0718 GMT) was centered about 175 kilometers (108 miles) south of Taitung County in southeastern Taiwan. It struck about 35.4 kilometers (21.9 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties and the earthquake was not strong enough to generate a tsunami. The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which measured the strength at 5.5 on the Richter scale, estimated that some 51,000 people may have felt light shaking on nearby islands.
Taiwan is frequently rattled by moderate and strong earthquakes. On April 26, 2010, a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Taiwan, injuring 96 people and damaging at least 340 buildings throughout the island.
And on September 21, 1999, a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck central Taiwan, killing at least 2,297 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others. The quake, the second-deadliest earthquake in the island’s history, also left some 600,000 people homeless.
The only earthquake more deadly than the earthquake in 1999 was a powerful earthquake that struck western Taiwan on April 21, 1935. It left at least 3,276 people killed and injured more than 12,000 others. Railways were left destroyed, iron bridges were fractured and tunnels cracked.
- Moderate earthquake hits northern Taiwan, no casualties - Apr 30, 2011
- Strong earthquake hits eastern Taiwan, no damage - Nov 22, 2010
- Strong earthquakes strike off northeastern New Zealand - Nov 18, 2011
- Strong earthquake hits northern Chile, no damage - Dec 09, 2011
- Two strong earthquakes shake Mexican desert in Baja California - Apr 12, 2012
- Moderate 5.5-magnitude earthquake shakes Christchurch - Oct 10, 2011
- Powerful earthquakes strike off Vanuatu, generating small tsunamis - Aug 21, 2011
- Damage reported after moderate earthquake rattles southern Iran - Jan 05, 2011
- Strong earthquake shakes Papua New Guinea, no tsunami warning - May 16, 2011
- Strong earthquake strikes off Mexico's Pacific coast, no damage - May 02, 2012
- Strong, deep earthquake hits below China-Russia border region - May 11, 2011
- Strong earthquake hits the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu - Jul 31, 2011
- Strong earthquake strikes central Peru, no casualties - Oct 29, 2011
- Strong earthquake rocks southeastern Iran, casualties unknown - Dec 21, 2010
- Strong earthquake jolts eastern Japan, no damage - Aug 01, 2011
Tags: bno, central taiwan, central weather bureau, central weather bureau of taiwan, deadliest earthquake, iron bridges, magnitude earthquake, nearby islands, powerful earthquake, quake hits, richter scale, seismologists, shallow earthquake, southern taiwan, taipei city, tuesday afternoon, united states geological, united states geological survey, usgs, western taiwan