2nd strong quake rattles Hualien; experts warn of more tremors

Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) A second major earthquake struck Hualien County on Wednesday, just hours after a powerful temblor hit the eastern county, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

There have been no immediate reports of major damage or injuries, however, the back-to-back quakes renewed safety concerns in areas still recovering from the catastrophic failure of a barrier lake at Matai'an Creek during Typhoon Ragasa in Sept. 23.

The Ministry of Agriculture's Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency confirmed that the lake's dam and water level remained stable after the first quake earlier Wednesday morning.

The situation after the second temblor is still being assessed as of press time.

The latest quake, measuring magnitude 5.0, occurred at 11:33 a.m., with its epicenter located 68.4 kilometers southeast of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 28.9 km. The tremor registered an intensity level of 3 in parts of Hualien and neighboring Taitung County.

It followed an earlier magnitude 5.0 quake at 7:52 a.m., centered in Ji'an Township about 6.9 km west of Hualien County Hall at a shallow depth of 6.1 km, CWA data showed.

CWA seismologists said the two quakes were independent events, occurring about 70 km apart, and cautioned that aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 to 4.5 could occur over the next three days as regional stress continues to adjust.

Both quakes were caused by the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate, seismologists said, adding that Ji'an Township often experiences magnitude-5 earthquakes, but the offshore region affected by the later quake has fewer such events.