April 3 earthquake causes islandwide displacement: Ministry

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) A magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Hualien County in eastern Taiwan on April 3 has caused an islandwide displacement, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement Sunday.

The ministry pointed out that a geological survey, conducted from April 3-22, found significant displacement at 138 out of 247 satellite monitoring stations, with Hualien impacted the most.

In Hualien, Shoufeng Township recorded the largest displacement before and after the earthquake, with a horizontal shift of 32.7 centimeters and a vertical lift of 39.3 cm, the ministry said in a press release.

The survey, which covered an area extending from Yilan in the north to Hualien in the south, Nantou in the west, and coastal areas in the east, detected smaller displacements in other regions.

According to the ministry, the displacement ranged from 1-4 cm in the north, 1-6 cm in the west, and 1-2 cm in the south.

In addition, the ministry said, the latest survey showed significant displacement in Hualien County and the Central Mountain Range over the past four years.

For example, in Hualien, the maximum horizontal displacement was 43.8 cm, and the elevation increased 49.1 cm, it said.