Earthquake rocks Taiwan

2004-10-15 12:17

Taipei - A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale shook Taiwan on Friday, sparking several fires and prompting people to flee swaying high-rise buildings but causing no serious damage.

The quake led to a dozen technicians being trapped in elevators of the world's tallest building, Taipei 101, for several minutes but the 508m structure remained intact, passing a key safety test.

The earthquake struck shortly after noon and was also felt in Japan's southern Okinawa chain, where the Meteorological Agency said it measured 6.6 on the Richter Scale.

Neither Taiwan nor Okinawa reported serious injuries or damage from the tremor, which was located at sea about 109km off Taiwan's north-eastern coast.

Its focus was 58km below sea level.

Equivalent to 16 atomic bombs

Its strength was "equivalent to 16 atomic bombs," Taiwan Seismology Centre director Kuo Kai-wen said.

"The epicentre originated from the sea and its destructive strength was greatly reduced," Kuo said.

It was the largest earthquake to hit quake-prone Taiwan since the island's worst one struck on September 21 1999, measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale and leaving about 2 400 people dead.

Friday's tremor shook high-rise buildings in the capital Taipei, sending panicked people fleeing to the street and leading to a 30-minute suspension of the city's underground transport system.

But managers of the newly completed Taipei 101 were pleased to report the building had handled the quake well.

"We are glad the building passed another safety test as no one here was hurt in the quake and there was no damage," said Taipei 101 president Chen Min-shun.

There had been concern about whether the building, to be formally opened by the end of the year, could withstand a high-magnitude tremor.

Frightened residents

The quake caused a huge watertank to fall from the roof of a building and crush a roadside eatery in the northern Taoyuan county, slightly hurting a 43-year-old woman having lunch there, Taiwan's national rescue centre said.

An elderly woman was also injured when she fell in fear as the quake struck, it said.

Fires broke out in several areas, including one at an internet cafe in the southern city of Kaohsiung caused by a power short circuit, it said.

In the eastern coastal city of Hualien, frightened residents fled their homes and primary school children ran out of classrooms, local radio reported.

Kuo said Friday's quake was caused by the crunching of the Earth's Philippine and Eurasian plates.

- AFP