Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau has retracted its initial statement that the 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which struck the eastern coast early yesterday, was an independent event.
The bureau clarified that it was, in fact, a significant aftershock of the 7.2-magnitude Hualien earthquake from April.
Initial reports placed the earthquake’s epicenter 34.2 kilometers southeast of Hualien County’s local government office, at a depth of 9.7 kilometers.
However, further analysis revised the location to 23.78 degrees north, 121.71 degrees east, and a depth of 19.36 kilometers, situating the epicenter just 4.22 kilometers from April’s quake site.
The April earthquake had devastating effects, resulting in 17 deaths and over 1,155 injuries. Taiwan, located in the seismically active “Ring of Fire,” frequently experiences earthquakes.
