Taiwan earthquake: Magnitude-6.4 quake strikes near Hualien leaving two dead, buildings collapsed

Updated February 07, 2018 07:29:31

A magnitude-6.4 earthquake has struck near the coastal city of Hualien in Taiwan, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says, leaving two people dead, more than 100 injured and causing buildings including a hotel to collapse.

The quake struck about 22 kilometres north-east of Hualien shortly before midnight, and the epicentre was very shallow at just 1 kilometre, the USGS said.

"Two people were unfortunately killed, and 114 have suffered light or severe injuries," Taiwan's Premier William Lai told an emergency government meeting.

A number of aftershocks hit the area, but there was no word of any tsunami warning.

Hualien is a popular tourist destination on Taiwan's eastern coast and home to about 100,000 people.

"The President has asked the Cabinet and related ministries to immediately launch the 'disaster mechanism' and to work at the fastest rate on disaster relief work," President Tsai Ing-wen's office said in a statement.

Mr Lai said the Government was urgently repairing a major highway damaged by the quake.

Among the buildings toppled in the quake was the Marshal Hotel in Hualien, where three people were trapped, the Government said.

Four other buildings, including two hotels and a military hospital, also tilted during the quake in Hualien, which is located about 120 kilometres south of the capital, Taipei.

The Government said two bridges in the city were either cracked or could not be used due to the quake.

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck nearby on Sunday.

Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China considers part of its territory, is prone to earthquakes.

Some people in Taiwan are still scarred by a 1999 magnitude-7.6 earthquake in which more than 2,000 people died.

More recently, an earthquake in 2016 in southern Taiwan left more than 100 dead.

Reuters

First posted February 07, 2018 06:37:54