Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, was struck by a series of earthquakes overnight and into the early hours of Tuesday. The strongest quake, measuring a magnitude of 6.3, originated in the eastern city of Hualien. The first strong quake, with a magnitude of 5.5, hit on Monday and could be felt in Taipei. This was followed by a series of aftershocks and tremors, including two intense ones in the early hours of Tuesday. Despite the occurrence of multiple earthquakes, no casualties were reported at the time of writing.

Witnesses and residents in Taipei described feeling the tremors, with one tourist explaining that he initially thought it was vertigo. The Central Weather Administration reported that a magnitude-6.0 quake occurred at 2:26 am, followed six minutes later by a magnitude-6.3 one. However, the US Geological Survey recorded the first quake as a magnitude-6.1, followed by a magnitude-6.0. Similar intense quakes were felt throughout Monday, causing buildings to sway and glass panels to rattle.

Hualien, the epicenter of a magnitude-7.4 quake that occurred on April 3, experienced landslides and building damage. The 17 deaths caused by that earthquake highlighted Taiwan’s susceptibility to seismic activity. The Hualien fire department stated that teams were dispatched to inspect any potential damage from the recent quakes. However, as of their statement released at 2:54 am, no casualties had been reported. Taiwan frequently experiences earthquakes due to its location at the junction of two tectonic plates. The strict implementation of building regulations and public disaster awareness have helped mitigate the effects of these earthquakes in recent years.