Taiwan: No initial reports of damage or casualties following magnitude 6.1 offshore earthquake in Philippine Sea at around 02:26 April 23 /update 1

There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties following a magnitude-6.1 earthquake that occurred east of Taiwan in the Philippine Sea at around 02:26 on April 23. The epicenter was approximately 28 km (17 miles) south of Hualien City. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 11 km (7 miles), and light-to-moderate shaking was probably felt throughout Taiwan. The initial earthquake was followed by another strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake 13 km (8 miles) south-southwest of Hueilen and several other tremors ranging from magnitude 4.9-5.5. It could take several hours for authorities to conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Additional 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.