Intellasia News Services -- Moderate quake hits Taiwan

Moderate quake hits Taiwan
Source: 10-MAR-2010 Intellasia | AFP
10 Mar, 2010 - 7:00:00 AM
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Monday, the central weather bureau said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The quake struck at 5:26 pm (0926 GMT) about 16 kilometres (10 miles) southeast of southern Chiayi city with the epicentre 14 kilometres underground.

Last week, a strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the south of the island, derailing a carriage on a high-speed train, toppling farm houses and momentarily cutting off electricity to more than half a million homes.

A man points at a seismic chart at the Central Weather Bureau in Taipei. A 5.1-magnitude earthquake has hit Taiwan, the central weather bureau says, with no immediate reports of damage or casualties. (AFP/Sam Yeh)

Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes as the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates.

In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude tremor killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.

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