Matai'an barrier lake stable after magnitude 5.0 earthquake hits Hualien

Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) The Matai'an Creek barrier lake in Hualien County remained stable after a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the eastern Taiwan county early Wednesday, according to the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency's Hualien Branch.

The earthquake struck Hualien at 7:52 a.m. Drones were sent to inspect the lake shortly afterward, and officials reported no significant changes in water level or dam integrity, the agency said.

Meanwhile, Wu Chien-fu (吳建富), head of the Central Weather Administration's (CWA) Seismological Center, said Guangfu Township did not need to be evacuated because the quake's intensity of 3 in the area was below the evacuation threshold.

Evacuation orders are issued when an earthquake reaches "5 lower" on Taiwan's seven-tier scale and is accompanied by signs of abnormal water levels or structural issues at the lake, Wu said.

He warned, however, that aftershocks of up to magnitude 4.5 are possible and urged residents to stay alert.

Guangfu Township was hit by deadly floods after the Matai'an Creek barrier lake overflowed on Sept. 23 during Typhoon Ragasa.

CWA data placed Wednesday's epicenter in Ji'an Township, about 6.9 kilometers west of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 6.1 km.