A magnitude 6 earthquake struck the island of Taiwan on the night of Monday to Tuesday, January 21, announced the American Geological Survey (USGS).
This earthquake, which shook buildings in the capital Taipei, was recorded at 12:17 a.m. Tuesday in Taiwan, or 4:17 p.m. GMT Monday January 20. Its epicenter was located twelve kilometers north of Yujing district, in the south of the island.
Frequently affected by earthquakes
According to local authorities, three people, including a child, trapped under the rubble of their house, were rescued by firefighters. Another person was injured by falling debris while two others were trapped in elevators. An AFP journalist in Taipei felt his residential tower shake for nearly a minute.
Taiwan is frequently hit by earthquakes due to its location at the junction of two tectonic plates near the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is, according to the USGS, the most seismically active area in the world. .
-The last major earthquake occurred in April 2024, when the island was hit by a deadly tremor of magnitude 7.4, the strongest in 25 years, according to authorities. At least 17 people were killed in the earthquake, which caused landslides and seriously damaged buildings around Hualien, in the east of the island.
In 1999, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 killed some 2,400 people, making it the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.
