March 27, 2013 Earthquake: Nantou County, Taipei, Taiwan

One person killed, 86 injured and several buildings damaged in Nantou. Felt (V) at Taichung, (IV) at Tainan and (III) at Taipei. Felt in much of Taiwan. Felt (III) at Xiamen, Fujian. Also felt at Fuzhou. Felt at Guangzhou, Guangdong and at Hangzhou, Zhejiang. Recorded (6 TAP) in Nantou; (5 TAP) in Changhua; (4 TAP) Chiayi, Hualien, Miaoli and Yunlin; (3 TAP) in Hsinchu, Penghu and Yilan; (2 TAP) in Pingtung, Taitung and Taoyuan. (reference #1053)

Tsaotun, Nantou, Taiwan - CDI: 6; Puli, Nantou, Taiwan - CDI: 6; Chihu, Changhwa, Taiwan - CDI: 6; Taichung, Taichung Shih, Taiwan - CDI: 6; Chingshui, Taichung Hsien, Taiwan - CDI: 6 (reference #13456)

TAIPEI-An earthquake killed at least one person and disrupted operations at some electronic factories in central Taiwan on Wednesday morning, but the rest of the island was largely unscathed. The Central Weather Bureau said the 6.1-magnitude quake struck at 10:03 a.m. local time and was centered in Nantou County, at a depth of 15.4 kilometers. Aftershocks as strong as 4.3 in magnitude rattled the area for the next 2 1/2 hours. The initial temblor shook buildings in the capital, Taipei, 120 kilometers to the north. A wall that collapsed killed a 72-year-old woman at a temple in Nantou County, the National Fire Agency said, adding that 19 other people across central Taiwan were injured, mostly by falling objects. Among the injured was a person struck by a section of ceiling at a government office in Nantou County, the fire agency said. (reference #10493)

"Building damage inflicted by the earthquake includes cracked exterior walls, fallen tiles, and broken windows. Contents damage has also been reported. Most damaged buildings are located in the Nantou, Changhua, and Taichung regions of central Taiwan." AIR also noted that although the temblor made buildings in the capital city of Taipei sway, "building damage in this city has not been reported. However, there have been reports that the earthquake gave rise to a fire in Taipei, but damage or disruption caused by this fire following event have not yet been reported at the time of this advisory. "The temblor also caused disruption to transportation services; large boulders reportedly fell onto some roads in central Taiwan, and sections of high-speed rail line were temporarily shut down for inspection." (reference #10494)

An earthquake which hit Taiwan on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 86 others, was reportedly felt as far away as Shanghai, according to local media. The quake, which measured between magnitude 6.0 and 6.1, shook buildings in Taipei, trapped people in elevators and started at least one fire. The one fatality occurred after a wall in Nantou fell onto a 72 year old woman, killing her instantly. (reference #10495)

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake, the strongest this year [2013], jolted Nantou County, leaving four people dead and causing an estimated NT$33.73 million (US$1.128 million) worth of damage to 191 schools in central Taiwan. (reference #10628)