Taiwan: A magnitude-5.4 offshore earthquake occurs off the coast of Yilan County at around 17:06 Aug. 15

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake occurred in the Philippine Sea off the coast of Taiwan's Yilan County at around 17:06 Aug. 15. The epicenter was about 44 km (27 miles) south-southeast of Yilan. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 11 km (7 miles), and moderate-to-light shaking was probably felt in coastal areas of Yilan County close to the epicenter, as well as light shaking throughout much of Taiwan and Japan's Yaeyama Islands. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, 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.