A magnitude 5.0 earthquake hit eastern Taiwan on Wednesday. People in Taipei felt the quake.
The epicenter was in Yilan County, near Taipei. It was about 70 kilometers deep. Luckily, no damage or injuries were reported.
Taiwan’s fire department said everything was okay. The national fire department also said there was no damage anywhere on the island.
Public transport kept running, including high-speed trains. Taipei’s metro slowed down temporarily for safety.
Taiwan is on the edge of two tectonic plates, near the “Pacific Ring of Fire”. This area has the most earthquakes in the world.
A big quake hit in April, with a magnitude of 7.4. It was the strongest in 25 years, killing 17 people and causing a lot of damage.
The worst quake in Taiwan’s history was in 1999, with a magnitude of 7.6. It killed over 2,400 people.
After that, Taiwan changed its building rules to make houses and buildings safer. They used special steel to make them flexible during quakes.
Taiwan also developed an early warning system for earthquakes. It can alert people a few seconds before the quake hits. This system is always being improved and can be accessed even in remote areas with smartphones and the internet.
Source: channelnewsasia