Strong 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Taiwan, Tremors Rock Taipei

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Taiwan late Saturday night, the country’s Central Weather Administration said.

The quake hit off the northeastern coast near Yilan at around 11:05 pm local time. Its epicentre was located about 32.3 kilometres east of Yilan County Hall, at coordinates 24.69°N and 122.08°E, with a focal depth of 72.8 kilometres.

Taiwan’s National Fire Agency said damage assessments were underway but confirmed that no tsunami warning was issued following the earthquake.

As the tremor occurred late at night, the fire agency shared safety guidelines on social media platform X, urging residents to protect themselves immediately, stay away from dangerous objects, keep shoes and a flashlight by their bedside, wait for the shaking to stop before moving, and remain calm to avoid injuries from aftershocks.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage, according to the Taipei city government. However, local media reported that buildings in the capital Taipei swayed during the quake, and tremors were felt across much of the island, news agency AFP reported.

The latest earthquake comes just three days after a magnitude 6.1 quake struck Taiwan’s southeastern county of Taitung on Wednesday. That tremor, with a depth of about 11.9 kilometres, was also felt in Taipei and other regions, including Kaohsiung, with strong jolts near the epicentre knocking items off shelves in some supermarkets.

Taiwan lies in a seismically active region and frequently experiences earthquakes. In April 2024, the island was hit by a devastating magnitude 7.4 earthquake — the strongest in 25 years — which killed at least 17 people, triggered landslides, and caused widespread damage, particularly around Hualien.