Taiwan: Magnitude-5.6 offshore earthquake occurs off the coast of Hualien County April 22

A magnitude-5.6 earthquake occurred off the coast of Hualien County at around 18:50 April 22. The epicenter was about 29 km (18 miles) south of Hualien. The earthquake was preceded by several moderate quakes between magnitude-4.9 and magnitude-5.3. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and strong-to-moderate shaking was probably felt in eastern coastal areas of Hualien County close to the epicenter, as well as light shaking throughout much of Taiwan. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; some minor damage is possible in areas close to the epicenter. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light-to-moderate aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.