A powerful earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, rocked Taiwan yesterday, sending panicked residents rushing out into the streets, but there was no immediate report of serious injury.
The quake struck at 6:02pm, with its epicenter 10km underground near Taitung City, the Seismological Observation Center said.
"It is a relatively shallow quake, making the impact even more obvious," a center spokeswoman said.
PHOTO: HUANG MING-TANG, TAIPEI TIMES
The powerful quake was felt in most parts of the country, with skyscrapers in Taipei shaking in a slow up-and-down movement.
At press time the quake had been followed by four aftershocks in excess of 4 on the Richter scale, the first just three minutes later and measuring 4.7, and the second 30 minutes later at 4.8. The third aftershock measuring 4.2 took place at 7:53pm, followed by another 4.2 temblor at 8.56pm.
The center warned of more aftershocks over the next two weeks.
Television stations reported electricity failures and fires breaking out in Taitung, which prompted residents to rush out of their homes.
Many jittery people were seen on TV footage rushing from homes into the open streets. Telephone services were also disrupted in the southeast.
Fallen and smashed goods were strewn along the aisles of convenience stores in the Taitung area.
Three people were slightly wounded by falling objects during the tremor, the Taitung Fire Department said.
High-rise buildings in Taipei swayed, and scattered incidents such as gas leaks, collapsed walls and people being trapped in elevators were reported around the country.
Police said there was no report of casualties so far, but Formosa TV reported a fire apparently caused by the earthquake in Taichung County.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday appealed to the authorities to release former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) from pretrial detention amid conflicting reports about his health. The TPP at a news conference on Thursday said that Ko should be released to a hospital for treatment, adding that he has blood in his urine and had spells of pain and nausea followed by vomiting over the past three months. Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), a retired professor of internal medicine and Ko’s former teacher, said that Ko’s symptoms aligned with gallstones, kidney inflammation and potentially dangerous heart conditions. Ko, charged with
RSS