Strong earthquake strikes coast of Taiwan

The epicenter of Sunday's earthquake was located on the eastern coast of Taiwan. Photo by USGS

Feb. 4 (UPI) — A strong, shallow earthquake struck the coast of Taiwan on Sunday evening.

According to the U.S. Geologic Survey, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck 21 km NNE of Hualian, Taiwan. Reports suggest the earthquake could be felt in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital.

No casualties have been reported.

Aftershocks with magnitudes between 4 and 5 rumbled across the country throughout the evening. The epicenter of the original quake was traced to a depth of 12 km.

“A total of 10 aftershocks were reported, with the largest being a magnitude 5.5 temblor,” Taiwan News reported.

Several smaller earthquakes preceded Sunday’s main quake.

Taiwan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and routinely experiences relatively minor earthquakes. The country and its populous capital have, however, experienced larger, deadly quakes in the past. A 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan in 1999, killing more than 2,500 people.

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