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Lawrence Chung

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake rock­ed Taiwan on Thursday morning, shaking high-rise buildings across the island and sending ­jittery residents onto the streets.
The quake struck off the coast of Yilan county in northeastern Taiwan at a a depth of 17.5km, according to the Central Weather Bureau’s earthquake centre.
The quake was followed by aftershocks, including one of magnitude 5.5, the centre’s spokesman Chang Chien-hsing said.
The major quake had about a quarter of the power of an atomic bomb, and the series of quakes was caused by the expansion of the seabed near Okinawa
Chang Chien-hsing, Central Weather Bureau’s earthquake centre
Various other places in Taiwan, including eastern Hualien county, recorded magnitude-4 quakes, Chang said.
No major casualties or damage had been reported, police said.
“The major quake had about a quarter of the power of an atomic bomb, and the series of quakes was caused by the expansion of the seabed near Okinawa [in Japan],” Chang said.
He said more were expected on Friday and Saturday.
Because the earthquakes were quite shallow, the shock waves would last “somewhat longer” in urban areas where there were high-rise buildings, Chang said.
He advised residents to be on the alert in the next two days.
The quake rattled much of the island, with panicked residents rushing out onto the streets, according to media reports.
Taiwan quake collapse linked to shoddy materials as death toll in Tainan rises
Primary school pupils were evacuated outdoors across Yilan county, local television footage showed.
In New Taipei City, masonry fell from at least one building, slightly injuring a security guard, SET TV reported.
Other footage showed a wine shop in Taipei with broken bottles and wine strewn across the floor.
Police also reported that the plate glass window of a bank in Taipei shattered during the main quake, but no one was injured.
Operations of the island’s two nuclear power plants in New Taipei City were not affected by the quake and no damage was reported at either facility, the Taiwan Power Company said.
But a rockslide was reported in Taoyuan in northern Taiwan, blocking traffic in the area, the Taoyuan government said.

The island’s legislature reported a blackout, which brought a legislative question session to an abrupt halt.
The meeting resumed in the afternoon after power was ­restored.
Rocks were reported to be falling from the high ground of Guei­shan Island, about 10km east of Yilan, according to TV footage.
But the Presidential Office said it would not affect outgoing president Ma Ying-jeou’s plan to visit the island today, in probably his last presidential inspection of Taiwan’s islands.
Also yesterday, Taiwan unveiled its mobile earthquake alarm system linked automatically to all 4G mobile phones in areas affected by the quakes.
But many residents complained that they did not receive the alerts, designed by the National Communications Commission to direct evacuations in the event of quakes of magnitude 5 or above.
“[The missing alerts] were due mainly to either poor phone signal reception or the model or the software versions of the phones had not been updated,” a commission official said.
He said the alerts could be received on 19 models of mobile phones, including Apple’s ­iPhones.
The United States Geological Survey also recorded the earthquake in northeastern Taiwan.
It measured it at magnitude 5.6.





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Taiwan

Taiwan hit by 5.8-magnitude earthquake, aftershock alert for Friday and Saturday

Teachers and pupils at Guang Fu Primary School rush to safety during the earthquake in northeastern Taiwan’s Yilan county. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Photo: emsc-csem.org

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epa05145612 A survivor prays while watching the rescue operation at a collapsed building following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the area in Tainan City, south Taiwan, 06 February 2016. At least seven people including an infant were killed and hundreds injured when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan early 06 February, authorities said. A 17-storey apartment building collapsed in Tainan City's Yungkang district. It was said to be home to about 250 people in 96 households, according to the Central Emergency Operation Center. EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO

Rescue workers search a collapsed building from an early morning earthquake in Tainan, Taiwan, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016. A powerful, shallow earthquake struck southern Taiwan before dawn Saturday. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

epa05145533 Rescuers use a crane to lift survivors from a collapsed building following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the area in Tainan City, Taiwan, 06 February 2016. At least five people, including an infant, were killed and dozens injured when a high-rise building collapsed after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan early 06 February, authorities said. The 17-storey building in Tainan city was said to be home to about 200 people in 60 households, state-run media reported. Several other buildings in Tainan collapsed or were damaged by the quake that struck at 03:57 am local time (19:57 GMT Friday). EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO

Rescue workers remove a baby from the site where a 17-storey apartment building collapsed after an earthquake hit Tainan, February 6, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer TAIWAN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN TAIWAN. EDITORIAL USE ONLY NO RESALES NO ARCHIVE TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A survivor prays for the safe return of other people who are still missing after Saturday’s deadly earthquake that struck the city of Tainan in Taiwan. Photo: EPA

Collapse of apartment block during Taiwan earthquake sparks anger over island’s building safety standards 

Rescue teams continue to use heavy excavation machinery to dig through the rubble of a collapsed building complex in Tainan, Taiwan, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. The Tainan District Prosecutors Office said in a statement Wednesday that they have approved the detention of three construction company executives who are suspected to have overseen shoddy construction of the 17-story Weiguan Golden Dragon building, which tumbled on to its side following an earthquake Saturday. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

Rescue teams use heavy excavation machinery to dig through the rubble of a collapsed building complex in Tainan, Taiwan, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016. The Tainan District Prosecutors Office said in a statement Wednesday that they have approved the detention of three construction company executives who are suspected to have overseen shoddy construction of the 17-story Weiguan Golden Dragon building, which tumbled on to its side following an earthquake Saturday. (AP Photo/Johnson Lai)

Rescue teams at the scene of the apartment block collapse in Tainan. Photo: AP

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