An earthquake struck southern Taiwan’s Chiayi county on Tuesday, causing damage to homes and evacuations at factories of a well-known microchip maker.
The epicentre was 12 km north of Yujing at a preliminary depth of 10 km, the US Geological Survey said. Taiwan’s Central Meteorological Administration recorded a magnitude of 6.4.
No deaths were reported from the quake, although rescuers were still assessing the damage. The 27 victims have minor injuries, the Taiwan Fire Department said. A one-month-old baby is among the injured and was rescued from the rubble in the city of Tainan.
The world’s largest chip maker from Taiwan TSMC suspended work amid the earthquake, but now the enterprises are gradually resuming production.
On January 16, the probability of a powerful earthquake of magnitude 8-9 in the Nankai Trough, located southeast of the Japanese island of Honshu, rose to 80%. The probability of occurrence is calculated for the next 30 years. Victims of natural phenomenon may become up to 323 thousand local residents.
On September 2, 2024, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 was recorded off the coast of Taiwan. The tremors, the epicentre of which was located 8.5 km southeast of Hualien County, were registered at 4:26 p.m. The source was at a depth of 23.9 kilometres.
Last April, Taiwan was hit by a stronger earthquake of several tremors, the magnitude of one of them was estimated at more than 7. It was the largest earthquake in 25 years. At least 13 people died and more than 1,000 were injured.
