Magnitude 6.3 quake an independent event: CWA

Taipei, Aug. 16 (CNA) The magnitude 6.3 earthquake that rattled Taiwan's eastern coast at 7:35 a.m. on Friday was not connected to the quake on Thursday evening or the Hualien earthquake in early April, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The quake on Friday was caused by the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate in the forearc region, as was the magnitude 5.7 one on Thursday, Hsu Li-wen (許麗文), deputy director of the CWA Seismological Center, said at a press conference.

However, given the distance between the two epicenters, they are thought not to be linked, Hsu said.

The epicenter of Thursday's temblor was located off the coast of Yilan County in northeastern Taiwan, 73.5 kilometers away from Friday's.

Meanwhile, despite the proximity between the epicenter of Friday's quake and the magnitude 7.2 Hualien earthquake that jolted eastern Taiwan on April 3, the CWA ruled out a potential link because of the time between the two seismic events.

"The crusts around the world have been active, so earthquakes occur every once in a while," Hsu said, emphasizing the relatively high frequency of seismic activity in the eastern region of the country.

Also read: Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes off eastern Taiwan

As of 8:30 a.m., the CWA has recorded nine aftershocks following the magnitude 6.3 quake.

Hsu reminded the public that temblors of magnitude 5.5 or above may occur within three days and warned people to stay vigilant against the risk of landslides due to recent precipitation.

Two individuals were trapped in elevators in Hualien County and have since been released, while no injuries were reported as of press time.