Dozens of aftershocks hit eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County on Monday night and early Tuesday, but only minor damage and no casualties were reported, with major chipmaker TSMC saying operations were not affected.
Yesen AFP |
Dozens of aftershocks hit eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County on Monday night and early Tuesday, but only minor damage and no casualties were reported, with major chipmaker TSMC saying operations were not affected.
Much of the rural and sparsely populated area of Hualien was hit by the hurricane after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on April 3 killed at least 14 people and caused more than 1,000 aftershocks since then.
Buildings shook across much of northern, eastern and western Taiwan, including the capital Taipei, with the largest quake measuring 6.3. All are shallow.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau said the series of earthquakes that began Monday afternoon, with an estimated magnitude of about 180, were aftershocks of the April 3 quake.
Wu Jianfu, director of the earthquake center, told reporters that the aftershocks were a “concentrated release of energy” and more were expected, although the intensity may not have been as strong.
Heavy rain is expected across Taiwan this week, and people in Hualien should prepare for more damage, he added.
The Hualien Fire Department said two buildings that were already vacant after being damaged on April 3 sustained further damage and collapsed.
No casualties were reported.
The world’s largest contract chip maker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)The company, whose factories are located on the island’s west coast, said some employees at some factories were evacuated, but facilities and security systems were operating normally and all workers were safe.
“At this time, we do not anticipate any impact on operations,” the company said in an email.
TSMC’s Taipei-listed shares rose 1.75% on Tuesday morning as investors dismissed concerns about earthquakes.
In mountainous Hualien County, some roads were reportedly closed due to falling rocks, and the government suspended work and schools for the day.
Taiwan is located at the intersection of two tectonic plates and is prone to frequent earthquakes.
An earthquake in southern Taiwan killed more than 100 people in 2016, while a magnitude 7.3 earthquake in 1999 killed more than 2,000 people.
