Taiwan rattled by more than 200 quakes, but no major damage

Taiwan's quake-hit eastern county of Hualien was rattled by more than 200 aftershocks late on Monday and early on Tuesday, but only minor damage was reported and no casualties and major chipmaker TSMC said it saw no impact on operations.

Largely rural and sparsely populated Hualien was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on April 3 that killed at least 17 people, and there have been more than 1,000 aftershocks since.

Buildings across large parts of northern, eastern and western Taiwan, including in the capital, Taipei, swayed throughout the night, with the largest quake measuring a 6.3 magnitude. All were very shallow.

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said the spate of earthquakes starting Monday afternoon - which it put at more than 200 - were aftershocks from the large April 3 quake.

Seismological Centre Director Wu Chien-fu told reporters that the aftershocks were a "concentrated release of energy" and that more could be expected, though perhaps not as strong.



Reuters