Taiwan: Magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurs off east coast of Hualien County June 23

A magnitude-5.1 earthquake occurred off the east coast of Hualien County at around 22"27 June 23. The epicenter was about 21 km (13 miles) south-southeast of Hualien City, Taiwan. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 22 km (14 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout most of Taiwan and the Yaeyama Islands in Japan. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light 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.