5.7 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan

Dozens of earthquakes with a maximum magnitude of 6.3 shook the island of Taiwan between Monday and Tuesday, whose government attributed it to aftershocks of a large earthquake that left 17 dead at the beginning of the month.

The strongest shaking occurred six minutes apart around 2:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. GMT), with magnitudes of 6 and 6.3 according to the Central Meteorological Administration of Taiwan.

The earthquakes began around 5:00 p.m. on Monday and by 10:30 a.m. the next morning, the Central Meteorological Administration indicated that more than 200 tremors had been recorded.

All of them originated in the mountainous county of Hualien, in the east, the epicenter of the April 3 earthquake, the “strongest in 25 years” on this island, with a magnitude of 7.4.

The authorities indicated that so far no victims have been reported, although the continuous shaking caused many residents of Taipei to spend the night awake, about 150 kilometers from the epicenter.

“I was too scared to move and stayed in bed,” office worker Kevin Lin, 53, who stayed up all night, told AFP.

Around 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit the island again, just as residents were heading to work.

In the city of Hualien, a hotel that had been damaged in the earthquake earlier this month was left tilted after this series of earthquakes, according to images obtained by AFP.

«Please leave for safety. Let’s evacuate first, okay? Is there anyone left inside? Please come down,” a firefighter shouted to the inhabitants of the nearby buildings.

Authorities in this mountainous county announced that schools and offices would remain closed Tuesday due to continuing aftershocks.

Will my building hold?

A Taiwanese government seismologist said the latest swarm of quakes originated south of the epicenter of the large April quake.

The April 3 earthquake left 17 dead and more than 1,100 injured. In Hualien, the shaking caused numerous landslides that blocked roads and severely damaged some buildings in the city.

Seismologists Judith Hubbard and Kyle Bradley indicated that the earthquake activity appeared to move south of the April 3 epicenter.

They indicated in their newsletter “Earthquake Insights” that the latest earthquakes appear to have grown in intensity, contrary to what usually happens after a large earthquake, when aftershocks tend to decrease.

After seeing images of the leaning hotel in Hualien, Taipei office worker Lin worries about the safety of his building.

“I live in a 40-year-old apartment and I’m worried if it can withstand so many earthquakes,” the man told AFP.

Olivier Bonifacio, a tourist in the Taiwanese capital, was surprised by the series of earthquakes at his hotel in Taipei’s Da’an district.

“I walked into my room and noticed the building was swaying and I heard the desk creak,” he said.

Earthquakes are common in Taiwan, since the island is located near the junction of two tectonic plates.

The April 3 earthquake had hundreds of aftershocks. It was the strongest on the island since 1999, when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake left 2,400 dead.

The application of stricter building rules since then and public awareness of how to act in these situations prevented a major catastrophe at the beginning of the month.

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