The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) reports that at 7:58 a.m. on Wednesday (Beijing Time), an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 shook the sea area near Hualien, Taiwan.
Following the earthquake, a red alert for tsunamis has been issued.
According to a CENC report, the epicentre was tracked at a depth of 12 kilometers and 23.81 degrees north latitude and 121.74 degrees east longitude.
Strong earthquakes were felt across Taiwan, according to accounts from the local media, forcing Taipei’s metro system to suspend service.
Taiwan’s meteorological agency reported that a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck at 7:58 a.m. Wednesday, with a depth of 15.5 km. The epicentre was located 25 km south-southeast of the Hualien county government. The maximum intensity recorded was 6 magnitude in Hualien County, Xinhua news agency reported.
The quake was followed by aftershocks, with CENC reporting two quakes measuring 6.0 and 5.9 magnitudes respectively within around 40 minutes, with epicenters monitored in nearby areas.
Source:IANS