A 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Taiwan on Wednesday, shaking buildings in the capital Taipei but causing no immediate damage or injuries, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake hit at a depth of nearly 70 kilometres in Yilan County, east of Taipei. An official at the Yilan Fire Bureau told AFP, “I felt the building shaking briefly when the quake hit.” However, local authorities and the National Fire Agency confirmed there were no reports of injuries or structural damage.
Taipei’s metro briefly slowed its train speeds as a precaution, though all rail services, including high-speed trains, continued without disruption.
Taiwan, located on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently experiences earthquakes. The island’s most recent major tremor occurred in April 2024, a deadly 7.4-magnitude quake that killed at least 17 people and caused widespread destruction in Hualien. It was the strongest in 25 years.
Taiwan’s most devastating quake remains the 7.6-magnitude disaster in 1999, which claimed around 2,400 lives.
In response to past tragedies, Taiwan has significantly upgraded its building codes and developed a robust earthquake early warning system that now utilises high-speed data, smartphones, and sensors across even remote regions.