Accumulation worries seismologists
Big earthquake hits Taiwan
05/09/2022, 1:05 pm
Taiwan experiences earthquakes on a regular basis, but this buildup surprises even experts: for the fifth time this year, the earth is shaking with a force of more than 6. The country’s most important companies can continue to produce.
Another strong earthquake off the coast of Taiwan caused buildings to shake in the capital, Taipei. The epicenter was 90 kilometers east of the sea port city of Hualien, according to the Taipei Seismological Center. Its epicenter was about 70 km southwest of the Japanese island of Yonkuni off Taiwan, at a depth of 27 km. So fate was 6.1. According to the USGS, the earthquake’s magnitude was 6.3. The Japan Meteorological Agency put the temperature at 6.6 degrees.
The quake was felt across the island, and rail traffic was also affected: 17 trains with 2,680 passengers on board were either stopped or slowed, according to CNA news agency. No major damage was reported. There are no reports of injuries. Production of Taiwan’s two largest semiconductor manufacturers, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) in Hsinchu Industrial Park continued to operate without interruption.
However, seismologists were concerned about the increasing frequency of strong earthquakes. This was the fifth earthquake with a magnitude of over 6 this year. “There have been more earthquakes than usual this year,” said Chen Kuchang of the Seismological Analysis Center of the Seismological Center.
Taiwan experiences earthquakes regularly due to the collision of tectonic plates there. Authorities only issue a tsunami warning of magnitude 7.0.