December 19, 2009 Earthquake: Hualien, Taiwan

Fourteen people injured at Hua-lien and a few buildings damaged at Taipei. Felt (VI) at Hua-lien; (V) at Chang-hua,

Chia-i, Hsin-chu, Hsin-tien and Yung-k'ang; (IV) at

Chung-ho, Chu-pei, Kao-hsiung, P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung,

T'ai-nan, T'ao-yuan and in the Taipei area. Felt (IV)

at Fuzhou and (III) at Quanzhou, Xiamen and Zhangzhou,

China. Also felt at Basco, Philippines and on Ishigaki-

jima, Ryukyu Islands. Recorded (7 TAP) in Hua-lien; (5

TAP) in Chang-hua, Chia-i, I-lan, T'ai-chung, T'ai-

tung and Yun-lin; (4 TAP) in Hsin-cho, Kao-hsiung,

Miao-li, P'eng-hu, T'ai-nan, T'ai-pei and T'ao-yuan;

(3 TAP) in Nan-t'ou and P'ing-tung, Taiwan. Recorded

(3 JMA) on Iriomote-jima and Yonaguni-jima; (2 JMA) on

Hateruma-jima and Ishigaki-jima; (1 JMA) on Miyake-

jima and Tarama-shima, Ryukyu Islands. (reference #1053)

A powerful earthquake off Taiwan injured 14 people and caused minor damage in the capital as well as near the epicenter, an official said Sunday. All 14 victims sustained minor injuries in the eastern city of Hualien, 85 miles (135 kilometers) southeast of the capital, the official from Taiwan's National Fire Agency said. Thirteen became ill after inhaling chlorine gas that leaked from a hotel, and another was hurt by falling debris caused by Saturday's quake, said the official, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press. (reference #5905)