A shallow 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Taiwan on Wednesday evening, shaking Taitung County at 5:47 p.m. local time (0947 GMT) at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the US Geological Survey, which reported no immediate damage and did not issue an immediate alert for casualties.
The US Geological Survey located the epicenter in Taitung County in southeastern Taiwan and classified the quake as shallow because it occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration reported the earthquake on Wednesday and issued its own magnitude estimate earlier in the evening before international agencies released their measurements.
Local authorities in Taitung County and other parts of southeastern Taiwan monitored the situation on Wednesday evening and checked for structural damage and possible injuries after the 6.0-magnitude quake.
Emergency services in Taiwan conducted initial assessments on Wednesday evening and coordinated with local governments in areas that felt the 6.0-magnitude earthquake.
Seismologists at the US Geological Survey recorded the earthquake parameters on Wednesday and published preliminary data indicating a magnitude of 6.0 at a depth of 10 kilometers near Taitung County.
Regional monitoring centers in Taiwan and international agencies continued to track aftershocks and updated seismic data on Wednesday following the 6.0-magnitude earthquake in southeastern Taiwan.
Authorities in Taiwan maintained regular communication with national and local disaster response units on Wednesday as they gathered information about the impact of the earthquake in Taitung County and surrounding areas.
Transportation and public infrastructure operators in southeastern Taiwan carried out routine safety checks on Wednesday evening after seismic instruments registered the 6.0-magnitude event in Taitung County.
The Central Weather Administration and the US Geological Survey continued to analyze seismic readings on Wednesday and prepared updated reports on the earthquake’s characteristics and affected locations in Taiwan.