April 18, 2019 Earthquake: Hualien, Taiwan
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Hualien, Taiwan on April 18, 2019 at 05:01:06 UTC, 20 km below the surface. It killed 1 person.
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
- April 18, 2019
- Time
- 05:01:06 UTC
- Place
- Hualien, Taiwan
- Magnitude
- 6.1 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 20 km (12 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 23.989° N, 121.693° E
- Country
- Taiwan
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 16
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake jolted Taiwan on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, disrupting traffic and injuring 17 people.
An official at the Hualien county fire department told AFP that two people were injured by falling rocks. The National Fire Agency said one, a Malaysian male tourist, had been rushed to hospital in a critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest, a leg fracture and head injuries.
The agency added that there were also 15 injuries reported around Taipei and that two buildings in the city were temporarily evacuated due to structural damages after the tremor. (reference #12417)
Sad news to report this morning after it was confirmed that the Malaysian citizen injured in a 6.1 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan's Taroko Gorge National Park on April 18, has now died.
Forty-year-old Choo Yip Chean was hiking the Lushui Trail at the national park in Hualien when the quake occurred. He was injured when hit by falling rocks caused by the shaking. (reference #12418)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 22, 1782, Tainan, Taiwan
- April 20, 1935, Mialoi, Taiwan
- July 16, 1935, Xiinzhu, Taiwan
- September 20, 1999, Nantou, Taichung, Taizhong, Taiwan
- June 6, 1862, Tainan, Taiwan
- 1721, Tainan, Taiwan
- March 16, 1906, Jiayi, Taiwan
- December 3, 1848, Zhanghua, Taiwan
- December 18, 1867, Chilung (Keelung), Taiwan
- February 1845, Zhanghua, Taiwan
- December 16, 1941, Taiwan
- January 30, 1736, Tainan, Taiwan
- August 9, 1792, Jiayi, Tainan, Taiwan
- August 28, 1916, Taiwan
- November 5, 1904, Jiayi, Taiwan
More
Significant earthquakes of 2019The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2019Recent 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 10407.