Buildings shake as deep quake hits Taiwan, only minor damage

TAIPEI - Buildings shook in Taipei on Thursday (Dec 10) as a deep, 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit the northern part of Taiwan, though with reports of only minor damage and no injuries.

The quake’s epicentre was just off Taiwan’s northeastern coast, at a depth of 77km, according to the island’s Central Weather Bureau.

The Taipei city government said there were scattered reports of light damage, but that the subway system was operating as normal.

Buildings shook in the capital for around 30 seconds.

The high-speed railway line between northern and southern Taiwan was stopped briefly, before resuming normal service, the Transport Ministry said.

Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China considers its own, lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, and some Taiwanese remain scarred by a 7.3 magnitude quake that killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.