TAIPEI, Taiwan - Three consecutive earthquakes rocked eastern
Taiwan early Tuesday, but there were no reports of injuries
or damage.
The
third quake, measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale, hit at
1:30 a.m. (1730 GMT Monday), with its epicenter 1.8 kilometers
(1.1 miles) southeast of eastern Hualien city.
The
first quake, with the same magnitude, struck at 1:28 a.m.
(1728 GMT Monday), originating 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles)
east of Hualien city and 10.5 kilometers below the earth's
surface.
A
few seconds later another hit the same area.
The
Seismology Center warned earlier this month that eastern
parts of Taiwan could be hit by a series of powerful earthquakes
after a lull of more than six years.
One
person was injured on September 10 when an earthquake
measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale hit the eastern island,
which sits in an area where the Philippine Sea plate and
Eurasian plate collide.
The
quake on September 10 was a reminder of the earthquake
on September 21 last year which killed 2,400 people and
left some 100,000 people homeless.
The
devastating quake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale was
the biggest to hit the island in a century.
Since
then minor tremors and aftershocks have been a daily occurrence.
On
June 11, a quake with a magnitude of 6.7 hit central Taiwan,
killing two people and injuring 36.
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