Taipei: Two powerful quakes shook Taiwan on Thursday night, seismologists said.
The US Geological Survey reported the two temblors hit Taiwan within three hours of each other.
The first was a magnitude 5.3 quake that took place 34km NE of Hualian, Taiwan at 3:17pm UTC (7pm in Dubai). It struck about 10 kilometers deep, making it a shallow earthquake, the agency said.
Residents of Taipei reported strong shaking in the capital, but there was no immediate word on damage or casualties.
The second next quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5, struck 65km NNE of Taitung City, Taiwan, at 6.19pm UTC (10.19pm in Dubai).
Strong quake was felt in Hualien County and Yilan County, with lighter shaking felt in Central Hualien County, Nantou County, Central Yilan County, Taichung City, and New Taipei City.
It was also felt in other regions.
Taiwan, located along the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire”, is frequently rattled by earthquakes. More than 100 people were killed in February when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Taiwan.
On September 21, 1999, a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck central Taiwan, killing at least 2,297 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others.
The quake, the second-deadliest earthquake in the island's history, destroyed left more than 600,000 people homeless.
The only earthquake more deadly than the earthquake in 1999 was a powerful earthquake that struck western Taiwan on April 21, 1935.
It left at least 3,276 people killed and injured more than 12,000 others. Railways were left destroyed, iron bridges were fractured and tunnels cracked.
