Taiwan: Magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurs off the coast of Hualien County Oct. 13

A magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurred in the Philippine Sea off the east coast of Hualien County at around 19:36 Oct. 13. The epicenter was about 1.6 km (1 mile) east-southeast of Hualien City. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 21 km (13 miles), and light-to-moderate shaking was probably felt in coastal areas of Hualien County close to the epicenter, as well as light-to-weak shaking throughout much of the rest of Taiwan. 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.