Earthquake strikes Taiwan: 5.9 magnitude quake jolts country; no major damage reported

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 struck parts of Taiwan on Wednesday.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake was recorded at 11:00:28 (UTC). The quake's epicenter was located approximately 71 kilometers (44.1 miles) south of Hualien City, at a depth of 31.1 kilometers (19.3 miles), with coordinates 23.330°N latitude and 121.621°E longitude.

Hualien is a sparsely populated city on Taiwan’s eastern coast, in contrast to the densely populated western side of the island, which is home to about 23 million people and frequently experiences seismic activity.

Buildings in the capital, Taipei, shook for about a minute. However, there were no immediate reports of major damage.

Taiwan is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean from Chile to New Zealand. This region is highly prone to earthquakes.

Taiwan’s worst earthquake occurred in 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7. It killed 2,415 people, damaged buildings and led to stricter building codes, improved response times and coordination, and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety. Schools and workplaces regularly conduct earthquake drills and cellphones buzz with alerts whenever a strong earthquake is detected.