Taiwan was jolted by a series of at least 10 earthquakes in the early hours of Saturday, with the strongest registering a magnitude of 6.1, according to the island’s Central Weather Administration. Though the quakes triggered mobile phone alarms across the capital Taipei, no tsunami warnings were issued, and there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The strongest 6.1-magnitude quake struck just off the coast at 2:21 a.m. local time (1821 GMT), originating at a shallow depth of 24.9 kilometers (15.5 miles). It was followed by several smaller tremors before another powerful quake, registering 6.0 magnitude, struck on land around 40 kilometers from Hualien City on the east coast at 2:49 a.m. (1849 GMT), with a depth of 18.9 kilometers.
In total, ten earthquakes of varying magnitude were recorded after midnight on Saturday, according to Taiwan’s weather agency, triggering alarms on mobile phones across Taipei, an AFP journalist reported.
The National Fire Agency confirmed that there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries as a result of the seismic activity.
Saturday’s quakes come just days after a series of dozens of tremors shook the island earlier this week, including a 6.3-magnitude quake in eastern Hualien. Authorities said these were likely aftershocks from a deadly magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck more than two weeks ago, described as the “strongest in 25 years” by Taiwanese officials.
The powerful 7.4-magnitude quake on April 18 triggered landslides that blocked roads and severely damaged buildings around Hualien City, leaving at least 17 people dead.
Despite the recent spate of seismic activity, Taiwanese authorities have moved swiftly to reassure residents and maintain emergency readiness protocols. However, the frequent tremors have once again highlighted Taiwan’s vulnerability to earthquakes due to its location along the Ring of Fire, an active seismic fault line encircling the Pacific Ocean.
