TAIPEI – A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook Taiwan late on Saturday night. Buildings swayed across the island, and many people headed outside as the shaking continued. Early updates pointed to minor damage and no reports of deaths or injuries.
Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration said the quake struck at 11:05 pm local time. The epicentre was offshore, about 32 kilometres east of Yilan County in north-eastern Taiwan. It hit at around 73 kilometres deep, a depth officials said likely reduced damage on the surface.
The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake at magnitude 6.6, a difference that can happen with early readings. The shaking was felt clearly in Taipei, where some high-rise buildings moved from side to side. Reports also came in from as far south as Kaohsiung.
Several places reached level 4 on Taiwan’s seven-level intensity scale, including Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung, and Yilan. That level often means strong shaking that can knock items over or cause small cracks, but it rarely leads to major destruction.
What Taipei Residents Felt
In Taipei, some residents said the shaking rolled on for close to a minute. Chen Mei-ling, a mother of two in Da’an district, said it began gently and then grew stronger, so she grabbed her children and ran downstairs.
Videos and posts spread quickly online. People shared clips of lights swinging, shelves rattling in shops, and passengers steadying themselves in the underground.
In Yilan County, closer to the epicentre, people reported louder sounds and sharper movement. A fisherman in Suao Township said the ground felt as if it was rising and falling, and called it one of the strongest quakes he had experienced.
Emergency lines received many calls about stuck lifts and small leaks. Fire services across the island said they had no immediate reports of collapsed buildings or serious injuries.
Taiwan Power Company reported short power cuts affecting more than 3,000 households in Yilan, but electricity returned soon after. Nuclear and major power stations stayed in normal operation.
Travel disruption appeared limited. Taiwan Railway paused four services in the Yilan area as a safety step, leaving about 270 passengers waiting for a time. Trains were running again within hours. High-speed rail and major roads reported no damage.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) said some staff at Hsinchu Science Park briefly left buildings after safety systems were activated. Workers returned shortly after, and the company said output was not affected.
Taiwan Government Warns Over Aftershock Advice
President Lai Ching-te posted online late on Saturday, saying authorities were tracking the situation and asking people to stay alert for aftershocks. The Central Weather Administration warned that aftershocks could reach magnitude 5.5 to 6.0 over the next few days.
Residents were told to secure furniture and keep basic emergency supplies ready. Officials did not issue a tsunami warning. The offshore location and depth were not expected to create a wave threat.
The quake was Taiwan’s strongest since the magnitude-7.4 event that struck Hualien County in April 2024. That earlier quake was much shallower, at about 15 kilometres, and caused building collapses, landslides, at least 19 deaths, and more than 1,000 injuries.
Experts said Saturday night’s quake caused less harm because it was deeper and offshore. Seismologist Wu Chien-fu from the Central Weather Administration said deeper quakes can spread energy over a wider area, but with less severe shaking at ground level.
Taiwan sits where the Philippine Sea Plate meets the Eurasian Plate, which makes it one of the most quake-prone places on Earth. Thousands of earthquakes occur each year, although most are small.
The worst in recent history remains the 1999 Jiji earthquake, a magnitude-7.7 disaster that killed more than 2,400 people and caused heavy damage. A 2016 quake in southern Taiwan also killed more than 100.
Building Strength and Public Preparedness
Since 1999, Taiwan has put major effort into safer buildings and public readiness. Stronger building rules, upgrades to older properties, and regular public drills have helped reduce deaths in later quakes.
Lin Mei-chun, a disaster management expert at National Taiwan University, said the change since 1999 has been dramatic. She said early warnings gave people a few seconds to take cover, and newer buildings were designed to bend rather than break.
Taiwan’s quake alert system also sent notifications to millions of mobile phones shortly before the strongest shaking reached populated areas.
By Sunday morning, only a small number of minor aftershocks had been recorded. That was a clear contrast to the many aftershocks that followed the 2024 Hualien quake. Officials continued to watch for changes in activity.
In Yilan, local authorities opened temporary shelters for people who did not feel comfortable going home, though only a small number used them. Schools and workplaces were expected to open as normal on Monday, while checks continued for hidden damage.
Taiwan avoided major losses this time, but the late-night earthquake reminded residents how quickly things can change. Many people said they felt relieved, but still cautious. Taipei office worker Wang Jun-hao said large quakes are part of life in Taiwan, but each one pushes people to re-check their emergency bag.
By Sunday morning, most areas were back to normal, with crews clearing small debris and residents returning to routine. The quake still served as a clear reminder that preparation matters on an island near the Pacific Ring of Fire.
