TAIPEI - An earthquake measuring 5.8 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted northern Taiwan on Thursday morning, causing panic and disrupting traffic in Taipei, according to the island's Seismological Observation Center.
The earthquake occurred at 11.17am local time (3.17 GMT) and was centered 15.5 kilometers southeast of the northeastern city of Yilan, originating in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 19.7 kilometers.
The quake was felt strongly in northern Taiwanese cities, where a flurry of jolts and loud noises lasted for about 60 minutes, triggering widespread fear among the population.
One person was injured by falling wall tiles from a tall building in New Taipei City and the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit System has reduced train speeds as a precaution, according to an epa journalist.
Taiwan is located in a tectonic zone and suffers frequent earthquakes, with the most devastating in recent years taking place on Sept. 22, 1999, killing 2,416 people.
On February 6, 2016 an earthquake of 6.4 degrees in Tainan, south of the island, in which 117 people died due to the collapse of buildings was recorded.
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