Focus Taiwan
Date: 02/15/2020
By: Wang Shu-fen, Tsai Peng-min and Frances Huang

Taipei, Feb. 15 (CNA) The magnitude-5.5 and 5.1 temblors that hit Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Saturday evening were a "normal release" of energy, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

Chen Kuo-chang (陳國昌), acting director of the Central Weather Bureau's Seismology Center, told reporters that such a normal release of energy is a positive development for eastern Taiwan, which is where the descending Philippine Sea Plate goes under the Eurasian Plate, resulting in a broken tectonic area that causes earthquakes.

Chen said multiple tremblors measuring magnitude 3 to 4 have hit eastern Taiwan recently at a time when the two plates are colliding, and the center had expected more quakes in the area based on historical records.

The quakes struck on the coast of Hualien at 7 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. Saturday.   [FULL  STORY]