Latest update: 19/08/2009 

- earthquakes - Natural disaster - Taiwan


Earthquake rattles island in wake of typhoon
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A 6.7 magnitude earthquake shook Taiwan and spurred Japan to issue a tsunami warning, although no immediate casualties or damage were reported. Taiwan is still recovering from a devastating typhoon that may have killed up to 500 people.
By News Wires (text)

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REUTERS - A strong earthquake rattled Taiwan on Monday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 8:05 a.m. (0005 GMT) was about 188 km southeast of Hualien on the east coast, at a depth of 11 km, the Central Weather Bureau said in a statement. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.7 after a first estimation of 6.9.

Earthquakes occur frequently in Taiwan, which lies on a seismically active stretch of the Pacific basin.

Taiwan is still recovering from typhoon which struck on Aug 8. President Ma Ying-jeou has estimated the eventual death toll from the storm at more than 500.

One of Taiwan’s worst-recorded quakes occurred in September 1999. Measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, it killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings.

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