Southeast Taiwan rocked by strong earthquake
STORY: A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan on Sunday (September 18) according to the island’s weather bureau.
The tremor derailed a train, caused a shop to collapse and trapped hundreds on mountain roads.
The weather bureau said the epicenter was in Taitung county, which is a sparsely populated southeastern part of Taiwan.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Sunday’s quake reached a whopping 7.2 magnitude and a depth of around 10 kilometres.
Taiwan’s fire department have said nearly a hundred and fifty people were injured.
The Taiwan Railways Administration said six carriages came off the rails at Dongli station - after part of the platform canopy collapsed - but the fire department said there were no injuries.
The weather bureau added that the quake could be felt across Taiwan. Buildings shook in the capital Taipei - and aftershocks have continued to jolt the island.
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates meaning it is prone to earthquakes.
