TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A second large earthquake measuring a magnitude of 6.8 struck Taitung County on Sunday (Sept. 18) at 2:44 p.m. causing shockwaves that were felt across Taiwan.

The mid-afternoon quake measured 7 km deep, with an epicenter 42.7 km north of Taitung County Hall. In its report, the US Geological Survey measured the quake as having a magnitude of 7.2, with a depth of 10 km.

The quake had an intensity level of over 6 in the southeast regions of Taitung and Hualien Counties. Taiwan uses an intensity scale of one to seven, which gauges the degree to which a quake is felt at a specific location.

Nantou County experienced an intensity level of five, while central and southern Taiwan felt an intensity of 4. Most of northern Taiwan experienced the quake at a level three intensity.

Sunday’s 2:44 p.m. temblor is the largest quake to hit Taiwan so far over the last 48 hours, coming on the heels of a 5.9 magnitude quake at 1:19 p.m. as well as a 6.4 magnitude quake on Saturday (Sept. 17) night.

Taitung and Hualien have been rocked by a continuous stream of minor earthquakes since Saturday evening.

A seismologist at the CWB suggested that the earthquakes over the past 18 hours were likely leading up to Sunday's 6.8 magnitude earthquake. Immediately after the 2:44 p.m. quake there were reports of damaged buildings and a derailed train in Hualien, reports CNA.



A collapsed building with a destroyed 7-11 in Yuli Township, Hualien. (CNA photo)