Taipei, Sept. 18 (BNA) A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the sparsely populated southeastern part of Taiwan on Sunday, sending train carriages derailed and causing a convenience store to collapse, the island’s meteorological office said.
The meteorological office said the quake’s epicenter was in Taitung County, and a 6.4-magnitude quake was followed on Saturday evening in the same area, causing no injuries, according to Reuters reports.
The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.2 and at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
The government of Hualien County, which is next to Taitung, said two people were trapped in a building housing a convenience store in Yuli, while rescue efforts were underway for three people who had fallen from a damaged bridge.
The Taiwan Railways Administration said three coaches derailed at Dongli Station in eastern Taiwan after part of the platform’s canopy collapsed, and about 20 passengers were evacuated and unharmed.
The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning to Taiwan after the earthquake but later canceled the warning. The Japan Meteorological Agency also lifted an earlier tsunami warning for part of Okinawa Prefecture.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the quake could be felt across Taiwan. Buildings shook briefly in the capital, Taipei.
Science parks in the southern cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung, home to major semiconductor factories, said there was no impact on operations.
Taiwan lies near the intersection of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.
More than 100 people were killed in the 2016 southern Taiwan earthquake, while a 7.3-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.