Strong earthquake hits Taiwan, no damage reported

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TAIPEI (Reuters) – Buildings shook in Taipei on Sunday after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Taiwan, but there were no reports of damage.

The meteorological bureau said the quake had a depth of 66.8 km and could be felt in the northern, eastern and western parts of Taiwan, with its epicenter in Yilan County.

The Taipei metro was briefly closed due to checks, but reopened shortly thereafter. The state-run electricity company said the network was operating as usual, while the railway department said it was conducting track inspections.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) (2330.TW), the world’s largest chip maker, said it has laid off some workers.

“Workers at some TSMC plants in northern Taiwan were evacuated during the earthquake in accordance with the company’s procedures, and all safety systems are operating normally,” it said in a brief statement.

Taiwan lies near the intersection of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

More than 100 people were killed in an earthquake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimo Lee) Additional reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru. Editing by William Mallard and Kim Coogill

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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