Taiwan earthquake: Taipei rocked by 7.0 magnitude quake, Japan and China also hit

8 mins ago10:50 Lauran O'Toole

1 hour ago09:50 Lauran O'Toole

President William Lai Ching-te has urged residents to be alert for possible aftershocks.

“Saturday's quake was strongly felt across Taiwan, but because it occurred at a considerable depth and its epicenter was offshore, it was relatively unlikely to cause serious damage," Chen Da-yi, a section chief at the the weather agency’s Seismological Centre, said at a press conference.

Taiwan sits along the boundary of two major tectonic plates and is therefore highly susceptible to seismic activity.

Taiwan sits along the boundary of two major tectonic plates (Image: Getty)

3 hours ago08:02 Lauran O'Toole

The strength of the blast caused some ceilings to collapse and supermarket shelves to topple, according to local media.

The quake was not severe enough for officials to issue a tsunami alert.

4 hours ago07:28 Lauran O'Toole

Good morning. My name is Lauran O'Toole and I will be bringing you all the latest on the Taiwan earthquakes affects.

Over 3,000 homes in Yilan lost power, the Taiwan Power Company said.

Central Weather Administration Seismological Centre section chief Chen Da-yi told a late-night press conference that the earthquake was caused by the “northward subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate colliding with the Eurasian Plate”.

Or, in layman's terms, one of the tectonic plates slid under the other and caused fiction in the form of an earthquake. 

Chen said it was a similar geological phenomenon seen earlier this year when as magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan on August 27.

“Saturday’s quake was felt across Taiwan, but because it occurred at a considerable depth and its epicentre was offshore, it was relatively unlikely to cause serious damage,” he said, according to local media reports. 

Chen added that a national-level earthquake alert was issued 15.2 seconds after the quake, covering nearly all counties and cities in Taiwan. A second alert followed 16.3 seconds later, targeting Pingtung County and outlying islands.

He urged the public to remain vigilant for aftershocks that may reach magnitudes of 5.5 to 6 throughout the next week.

Taiwan's national meteorological agency, the Central Weather Administration (CWA), have issued a statement following a large earthquake that struck the nation's Yilan region just after 11pm local time on Saturday night.

The CWA confirmed that the quake's epicentre was located 20 miles from the Yilan county hall. It also added the quake struck at a depth of 45.2 miles below ground. 

Although no major damage has been reported, the weather agency has issued a public safety warning, with aftershocks likely in the next week.

The CWA told United Daily News, one of the 'big three' daily newspapers in Taiwan: “The public is urged to be vigilant, pay attention to building safety, and take earthquake precautions to ensure personal safety.”

14 hours ago20:52 Charlie Bradley

The earthquake in 2024 (Image: Getty)

15 hours ago20:10 Charlie Bradley

15 hours ago19:30 Charlie Bradley

16 hours ago19:09 Charlie Bradley

16 hours ago19:05 Charlie Bradley

Local authorities said there were "some isolated cases of damage including gas and water leakage and minor damage to buildings" after the earthquake.

More than 3,000 homes in Yilan briefly lost power, Taiwan Power Company said according to local media.

The Straits Times also quoted Taiwan's Premier Cho Jung-tai, who urged residents to "remain vigilant".

Premier Cho Jung-tai urged the public to "remain vigilant and be mindful of the safety of your neighbours" in a statement issued after the quake.

"A strong earthquake struck an hour ago (11.05pm local time). "After repeatedly checking the situation in various locations, thankfully, there were only minor incidents,” he said in a separate post on Facebook.

Taiwan's weather administration said people should be on alert for aftershocks between 5.5 and 6.0 in the coming day.

It also said damage from the quake should be limited because it was relatively deep and hit offshore, according to local media.

TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said that a small number of its facilities in the Hsinchu science park, where it is headquartered, reached evacuation criteria following an earthquake, local media and press agencies reported. 

“Prioritising personnel safety, we are conducting outdoor evacuations and headcounts in accordance with emergency response procedures. Work safety systems at all facilities are operating normally,” it said in a brief statement quoted by The Straits Times.

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