December 26, 2006 Earthquake: Pingtung, Taiwan
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Pingtung, Taiwan on December 26, 2006 at 12:26:21 UTC, 10 km below the surface. It killed 2 people.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- December 26, 2006
- Time
- 12:26:21 UTC
- Place
- Pingtung, Taiwan
- Magnitude
- 7 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 21.799° N, 120.547° E
- Country
- Taiwan
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 40
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Some (about 51 to 100)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Two people killed, over forty injured and several
buildings damaged or destroyed at P'ing-tung. Undersea
telecommunication cables were cut, disrupting voice
and internet communication in much of East and
Southeast Asia. Felt throughout Taiwan. Also felt along the coast of southeastern China from Shantou in the south to Fuzho in the north. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- 1721, Tainan, Taiwan
- June 6, 1862, Tainan, Taiwan
- December 16, 1941, Taiwan
- January 30, 1736, Tainan, Taiwan
- November 5, 1904, Jiayi, Taiwan
- February 5, 2016, Tainan, Taiwan
- June 27, 1839, Jiayi, Taiwan
- January 18, 1964, Tainan, Taiwan
- December 4, 1946, Taiwan
- August 24, 1927, Taiwan
- November 24, 1951, Taiwan
- August 15, 1959, Taiwan
- April 13, 1906, Jiayi, Taiwan
- July 26, 2019, Itbayat, Batanes, Philippines
- July 17, 1998, Chia-I, Tainan, Hualien, Kao-Hsiung, Taiwan
More
Significant earthquakes of 2006The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2006Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 7413.