A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Taiwan’s southeastern coast early Wednesday morning, causing power outages in some regions of the independent island nation, Taiwan News reported.
The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Taiwan around 1:41 am on March 23 near the city of Hualien. The Taiwanese counties of Taitung and Pingtung reported electricity outages on Wednesday morning as a result of the tremor.
“[I]n [Taitung’s] Changbin Township, power outages were reported in the Nanzhuhu neighborhood,” Taiwan News reported on March 23.
“In southern Pingtung County, meanwhile, Taiwan Power Company reported that 1,203 customers had lost power due to a feeder circuit trip caused by the quake, but said that power had been totally restored by 5 a.m,” Taiwan’s CNA news outlet relayed.
Hualien city reported a number of residential water tanks were upended during the earthquake, indicating the local water supply may have been temporarily compromised.
“There have also been many reports of residential water tanks being knocked over, water pipes bursting, and supermarket goods flying off of shelves in Taitung,” Taiwan News reported.
In addition to the utility disruptions, Taiwan witnessed significant infrastructure damage to a highway bridge currently under construction in Hualien following Wednesday’s earthquake.
“The new Yuxing Bridge was slated to open in September of this year. However, due to the extensive damage inflicted by the quake, officials stated that the opening date will have to be re-evaluated,” Taiwan News revealed in a separate report published on March 23 that described the bridge as having “collapsed.”
No injuries were reported in connection with the Hualien bridge incident. At least one resident of Taitung county reported injuries sustained during the earthquake. The 88-year-old was hit by falling glass and suffered related head wounds, Taiwan’s National Fire Agency confirmed. The senior citizen was later treated for his injuries at a local hospital.
“On Provincial Highway 11, fallen rocks and debris were reported in a number of areas in Changbin and Donghe townships in Taitung, including a 1.8-meter boulder weighing an estimated 10 metric tons, which fell onto the road near Yongfu community but did not cause any injuries,” CNA reported.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) noted on Wednesday that “earthquakes of 6.0 [magnitude] or more can prove deadly, although much depends on where it strikes and at what depth.”
Taiwan’s 6.7-magnitude earthquake on March 23 caused no known deaths, according to reports available at press time on Wednesday.
“The last time Taiwan experienced a quake of a similar magnitude was in January, when a 6.2 tremor hit its east coast. There was no widespread damage or injuries,” according to AFP.
Taiwan last experienced major electricity outages on March 3 after an alleged “human error” at a power plant run by the state-owned Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) resulted in an “equipment malfunction.” The accident caused close to 5.5 million households and businesses across Taiwan to lose electricity. The blackout was especially significant because it negatively impacted Taiwan’s vital semiconductor industry, forcing several microchip foundries to temporarily curb or halt their operations.
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