Taipei, April 3 (CNA) Aftershocks of around magnitude 4 are possible over the next three days following a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck Tainan in southern Taiwan at 11:47 a.m. on Thursday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).
The epicenter of the earthquake was located 32.3 kilometers northeast of Tainan City Hall (Guantian District) at a depth of 7.3 km, CWA data showed.
The intensity of the quake, gauging the actual effect of a seismic event, was highest in Tainan and Chiayi County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, according to the CWA.
The earthquake was caused by the collision of the Eurasian and the Philippine Sea plates to the east of Taiwan, Wu Chien-fu (吳健富), director of the CWA’s Seismological Center, told CNA.
As the depth of the earthquake was shallow, only a few aftershocks are expected, Wu said, adding that future aftershocks are likely to be around magnitude 4.
After the earthquake, two Taiwan High Speed Rail trains were temporarily halted and inspections were undertaken, while Taiwan Railways trains on the route between Dounan Station in Yunlin and Gangshan Station in Kaohsiung operated at reduced speeds, according to the operators.
A resident living on the seventh floor of Tainan’s West Central District told CNA that he was about to go out for dinner when the earthquake alarm suddenly sounded on his cell phone. The building he resides in then shook noticeably, but the shaking lasted only for a few seconds and no items in the house fell or were damaged, he said.
Earlier Thursday, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake rattled Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 2:01 a.m.
The epicenter of the temblor was located 19.1 kilometers north from Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 25.3 km, CWA data showed.
The strongest tremors were felt in Hualien, Yilan and Nantou counties, where the intensity reached level 3.
There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
However, the shaking still woke up many residents in Hualien, and memories of the strong earthquake a year ago resurfaced, according to some of them.
Thursday marks the first anniversary since one of the worst natural disasters in recent years — a magnitude 7.2 earthquake — which struck Hualien on April 3, 2024, killing 18 people and injuring over 1,100.
