Photo:CENC

A total of 27 people were injured during a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that jolted island of Taiwan at 12:17 am Tuesday (Beijing Time),MKsport CCTV news reported.

The epicenter, with a depth of 14 km, was monitored at 23.24 degrees north latitude and 120.51 degrees east longitude, the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said.

According to the emergency medical management system of the local health and welfare departments, 27 people have been reported injured and are receiving medical treatment following the earthquake. Tainan city reported the highest number of injuries, with 16 cases, followed by Kaohsiung city with 3, Yunlin county with 4, Chiayi city with 3, and another person in Chiayi county, according to CCTV news.

Fire department of island of Taiwan reported 15 people have been injured and sent to the hospital for treatment. Additionally, according to local media, the earthquake caused buildings to collapse in Tainan city, and some individuals are trapped, according to China Central Television.

A resident surnamed Chu, living in Taipei, told the Global Times on Tuesday that he and his family are currently unaffected in the region. “Taipei just shook a few times, and everything is completely normal so far. However, some areas in Tainan city have been more severely impacted,” said Chu.

Rescue personnel are still assessing the damage. Furthermore, the meteorological authorities of island of Taiwan announced that a magnitude-6.4 earthquake occurred in Dapu township, Chiayi county, at 12:17 am Tuesday, with a depth of 9.7 kilometers. The epicenter was located 37.9 kilometers southeast of the Chiayi county government, and the tremors were felt across the island. 

The earthquake caused strong tremors across the entire island of Taiwan, with noticeable shaking reported in Quanzhou, Xiamen and Fuzhou in East China’s Fujian Province, and Ningbo, Hangzhou in East China’s Zhejiang Province, Shanghai also felt the tremors, according to CCTV News on Tuesday.

A Fuzhou resident surnamed Chen told the Global Times on Tuesday that he was preparing to sleep when the tremor caused his bed and window to shake. Chen mentioned he was not overly concerned about the earthquake and many of his friends shared their experiences during the earthquake on the social media platform WeChat moments.

A resident in Xiamen surnamed He said she only heard the window glass shake gently for a brief moment. “Many of my colleagues mentioned that they slept soundly and did not even notice the earthquake,” He said.

The meteorological department has issued alerts for over 20 counties and cities in island of Taiwan, according to CCTV. Additionally, from 12:21 am to 12:32 am on Tuesday, multiple earthquakes of magnitude-4 and above occurred in different districts of Tainan city.

A traveler named “Daerduotutu” had just arrived in Taipei on Monday. She told the Global Times that she was exporting photos from her phone when an earthquake alert notification appeared, followed by the tremor. “The house shook slightly, causing the ceiling to sway, but no major issues occurred. I feel confident about continuing my trip to Tainan in a few days,” said Daerduotutu.

A resident named Jianxiu in Changhua county in the middle part of the island told the Global Times that his village house remained undamaged just as it survived the 7.3-magnitude quake in April 2024. “I felt noticeable shake and just went to bed. My mother is a bit worried. Last year’s earthquake frightened her,” said Jianxiu.

Work and schools in the severely affected district in Tainan city will be suspended for one day to allow residents time to clean up and repair their homes, according to local media reports.

Global Times