Series of earthquakes jolt Tainan, including a magnitude 5.4 temblor

Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) A series of earthquakes struck the southern Taiwan city of Tainan on Friday evening, including a magnitude 5.4 temblor, the strongest of the quakes, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

The epicenter of the magnitude 5.4 earthquake, which occurred at 8:40 p.m., was located in Jiali District, 23.2 kilometers north of Tainan City Hall, at a depth of 7.7 kilometers, CWA data indicated.

The quake's intensity, which measures the actual effects of a seismic event, was highest in Tainan's Jiali, where it registered 5- on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale.

The earthquake also registered a 4 in Chiayi and Yunlin counties, the CWA said.

The magnitude 5.4 quake was preceded by two smaller earthquakes of magnitudes 4.0 and 3.0 at 6:45 p.m. and 8:22 p.m., respectively, according to the CWA.

Three more earthquakes followed later in the evening: a magnitude 3.5 temblor at 8:43 p.m., a magnitude 4.3 earthquake at 8:43 p.m., and another magnitude 3.5 temblor at 9:19 p.m.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries resulting from the quakes.

Lin Tsu-wei (林祖慰), a technical specialist at the CWA's Seismological Center, attributed the seismic activity to energy released westward due to the collision between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

This energy caused ruptures in vulnerable areas, triggering the earthquakes, Lin said, warning that aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or stronger could occur over the next three days.