Strong earthquake shakes Taiwan, no damage reported

Buildings shook in Taipei on Sunday, October 24, as an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 struck northeastern Taiwan, but there were no reports of damage.

It had a depth of 66.8 kms (41.5 miles), and could be felt across the northern and eastern parts of Taiwan, with the epicenter in Yilan county, the weather bureau added.

Reuters earlier reported a magnitude 6.2 quake, citing the European Mediterranean Seismological Center.

The Taipei metro was briefly closed for checks, but reopened shortly afterwards. The state-run power operator said the grid was operating as normal.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) , the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said it had evacuated some workers.

“Personnel at certain TSMC fabs in north Taiwan evacuated during the earthquake as per company procedure, and all safety systems functioned normally,” it said in a brief statement.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999. – Rappler.com