A 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit off the northeastern coast of Taiwan in Yilan County on Tuesday (Feb 24), according to the island’s weather authorities, with no immediate reports of damage.
The tremor, measured at a depth of 66.8km, caused brief shaking in buildings in Taipei, the capital. The fire department reported that the quake’s epicentre was 16.9km from the Yilan County government and occurred in nearby coastal waters.
Taiwan, located at the convergence of two tectonic plates, is highly susceptible to earthquakes. The island has faced deadly quakes in the past, including a southern Taiwan tremor in 2016 that killed over 100 people, and a 7.3-magnitude quake in 1999 that claimed more than 2,000 lives.
