Hualien, Taiwan: A 5.3 earthquake struck last Saturday

Last Saturday on September 21, around 6:51 p.m. local time, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit Hualien county’s east coast in Taiwan. According to officials the epicenter of the earthquake was at Xiulin, Hualien County, which is approximately 29.4km north of Hualien County Hall, while the depth of it was only 17km. Due to its sallow depth the tremors were felt across the country, while the tremors were more intense at the capital of Taiwan, Taipei.

As of present, the authorities stated that no major damage or injuries were reported. It should be noted that Taiwan is a prone to earthquake country and is experiencing frequent earthquakes as it is located at the boundary of two tectonic plates. Nevertheless, last April Hualien County experienced the most powerful earthquake with 7.2 magnitude after 25 years that resulted in at least nine casualties while 900 were injured. Furthermore, in 1999, an earthquake with the same magnitude killed more than 2000 people.