Magnitude 6.6 earthquake near Taiwan disrupts rail services
A 6.6-magnitude earthquake about 20 miles off Taiwan’s east coast briefly disrupted rail services and power to 3,000 homes late Saturday night. Photo by Ritchies B. Tongo/EPA
Dec. 27 (UPI) — A 6.6-magnitude earthquake was recorded off Taiwan’s northeastern coast on Saturday night, but no injuries or significant damage were reported.
The earthquake struck offshore at 11:05 p.m. local time and was located 20 miles east of Yilan County Hall.
The epicenter was 45 miles beneath the Earth’s surface, which largely protected Taiwan against harm and helped to prevent a tsunami warning.
The earthquake was felt in 17 of Taiwan’s 22 counties, which created a seismic intensity of 4 on the island’s 7-point scale.
Six of Taiwan High Speed Rail’s trains temporarily stopped upon detecting seismic alerts near Nangang and Yunlin.
Metro rail services in Taipei and Taichung reduced their respective speeds for a short time before resuming normal speeds late Saturday night.
More than 3,000 homes in Yilan lost power for a short period, but it was restored.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the earthquake as magnitude 6.6, but Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported it as magnitude 7.0.
Taiwan is located in an active seismic zone and on Wednesday recorded a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that impacted the coastal county of Taitung in the southeastern part of the island.
That earthquake also shook buildings in the capital city of Taipei.