Taipei, Feb. 19 (CNA) A magnitude 4.5 earthquake jolted southern Taiwan at 10:12 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Central Weather Bureau.

The earthquake's epicenter was located 17.2 kilometers southeast of Chiayi County Hall at a depth of 15.9 km, bureau officials said.

The strongest tremors, with an intensity of 4, was felt in the county's Dapu Township and Chiayi City. The intensity scale measures the extent to which earthquakes are actually felt.

Several areas in southern Taiwan, including in Yunlin County and the greater Tainan and Kaohsiung areas, experienced tremors with an intensity of 3.

The magnitude 4.5 earthquake was the second temblor to shake Chiayi County Tuesday morning. A much shallower but smaller magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck an area 43.6 km east of County Hall at 5:25 a.m.

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
ENDITEM/ls