Taiwan hit by aftershocks following deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake
- A 5.9-magnitude quake in Hualien on Monday was the 74th aftershock after quake struck Taitung county on Sunday
- Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang visits Hualien to show concern for quake victims and offer cash aid for people admitted to hospital
A 5.9-magnitude quake was recorded in the eastern county of Hualien at 10.07am on Monday, the 74th aftershock – and the fifth with a magnitude greater than 5 – after a 6.8-magnitude quake struck neighbouring Taitung county at 2.44pm the day before, according to the seismological centre of Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau.
“Aftershocks at the magnitude of over 5 will continue to shake southeastern Taiwan in the next three days and the public should remain cautious,” centre director Chen Kuo-chang said.
He said smaller tremors might continue for weeks as the powerful quake slowly released its energy.
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Drone footage shows collapsed bridge after 6.8-magnitude earthquake in southeastern Taiwan
According to Chen, Sunday’s quake, which struck Taitung’s Chishang township, was likely to be related to the fault of the island’s central mountain range – a jolt that had nothing to do with the 6.8-magnitude one that hit Luding in the mainland Chinese province of Sichuan on September 5.