Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/05/31
By: Wang Shu-fen, Huang Chiao-wen, Hsiao Po-yang and Lilian Wu
(From the Central Weather Bureau website)
Taipei, May 31 (CNA) A magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck off Taiwan’s northern coast early Tuesday afternoon was the strongest in the country in 17 years, but it is not expected to be followed by many aftershocks, the Central Weather Bureau said.
Tuesday’s earthquake, centered 73.1 kilometers northeast of Keelung, was the biggest since a magnitude 7.3 quake struck Taiwan on Sept. 21, 1999 and left more that 2,400 people dead.
In that devastating quake, the epicenter was located under the town of Jiji in Nantou County, central Taiwan, at a shallow depth of five kilometers, while Tuesday’s began at a depth of 271 km.
Because the 1999 earthquake was so shallow, it released energy equal to 46 atomic bombs, compared with the energy of 32 atomic bombs released by Tuesday’s temblor [FULL STORY]
