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Updated Tuesday, July 14, 2009 5:08 pm TWN, By Jamie Wang, CNA 6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes TaiwanNo major injuries or damage have been reported as a consequence of the earthquake, which was felt around the island and shook many people awake in the capital city of Taipei. The quake's epicenter was 126 kilometers southeast of Taipei off the coast of northern Hualien County, and it struck at a depth of 9.4 km, the bureau reported. The intensity of the earthquake was measured at 3 in Taipei and western Taiwan, and 2 in the southern half of the island. The temblor was preceded by a magnitude 4.0 quake at 2: 02 a.m. and followed by aftershocks of magnitude 3.9 at 2: 16 a.m. and 5.1 at 4:28 a.m. in Yilan County, just north of Hualien County, according to Central Weather Bureau records. The quake was the first of a magnitude of 6 since Sept. 7, 2007, when a magnitude 6.6 quake rocked Taiwan. The gap of nearly two years is rare in a country where at least two magnitude 6 earthquakes had struck every year between 1999 and 2007. The most devastating was a magnitude 7.3 temblor that hit central Taiwan on Sept. 21, 1999, leaving more than 2,000 people dead. It brought 14 aftershocks, all with a magnitude over 6.0. There were two magnitude 6 or higher earthquakes reported in the years 2003, 2005, and 2007, three in 2000, 2001, and 2004, five in 2006, and six in 2002, the bureau said. Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here Comments July 15, 2009 sheldonw_7@ Reply I will be going to Taiwan to teach English, specifically in Miaoli county on the cost of the Taiwan Straight. Hopefully I will not see any major damage there because all the quakes happen in the east cost of Taiwan, not the northwest. July 16, 2009 tropixyber@ Take a good survey at the maps before coming over, if I may say; go straight south of Miaoli in the direction of Taizhong then up the road to Puli and here you are (merely 50 km), with a museum in commemoration of one of the worst quake in Taiwan's recent history. You are now in Nantau county, the geographical centre of TW and the epicenter of 921.Nope, it's not the east coast, just because you are in the lower part of northern Taiwan doesn't mean you are far (on the contrary you are more than ever closer to that region from my p-o-v considering people in Taipei for instance, and knowing that nothing is really far in Taiwan) if you divided it in three region North-Centre-South. Actually the east is spared with major disasters because minor tremors happen all the time, where it doesn't in other region which is more worrying (weird no?)! What you are imagining is concerning the typhoons hitting Taiwan not earthquakes, which will be probably a more 'major' concern for you as a teacher living in TW anyway. Even though they of course can be felt strongly there, other regions also feel them when there’s a big tremor depending on what floor you live and what kind of construction you're in. For instance if you are driving in Yilan, Hualian or Taidong, you might not feel anything at all!! Remember quakes comes from deep under, often in the sea (hopefully) whereas typhoons when they hit (and they like the land a lot...) do it on the surface. Wishing you all the best to discover Taiwan, this wonderful and lesser known island than it deserves! |
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