Taiwan rattled by 7.0 magnitude quake

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The quake shook buildings in the capital Taipei and had a depth of 73km.

PHOTO: USGS

TAIPEI - A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck some 32km off Taiwan’s northeastern coastal city of Yilan late on Dec 27, the island’s weather administration said.

The quake shook buildings in the capital Taipei and had a depth of 73km, it added.

Damage assessment was underway, the National Fire Agency said.

Taiwan 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, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999. REUTERS