Earthquake today: 5.9-magnitude quake strikes Taiwan near Hualien city

Earthquake today: Taiwan was struck by an earthquake of magnitude-5.9 on Wednesday about 71 kilometers (44.1 miles) south of Hualien City.

The United States Geological Survey reported the quake had a magnitude of 5.9 and was detected at a depth of 31.1 kilometers (19.3 miles), reported AP.

Firefighters were dispatched to check the impact of the moderate quake, which hit 71 kilometres (44 miles) south of Hualien City.

"When the earthquake struck, the computer screen and fan shook heavily. It was much stronger than previous quakes. I immediately thought about running outside," reported AFP quoting a firefighter in the coastal town of Chenggong.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

According to AFP, its journalists reporting buildings shaking in the capital Taipei.

Taiwan is frequently hit by earthquakes due to its location on the edges of two tectonic plates near the Pacific Ring of Fire, which the USGS says is the most seismically active zone in the world.

The last major earthquake occurred in April 2024 when the island was hit by a deadly 7.4-magnitude tremor that officials said was the strongest in 25 years.

At least 17 people were killed in that quake, which triggered landslides and severely damaged buildings around Hualien.

It was the most serious in Taiwan since a 7.6-magnitude tremor struck in 1999.

Some 2,400 people died in that quake, making it the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.

Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean from Chile to New Zealand where most of the world's earthquakes occur.

On Monday, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake rattled central Colombia.

Nearby residents picked through the debris of several collapsed zinc-roofed structures.

There were no reports of serious injuries, but authorities were investigating minor damage in several other villages.

In Bogota -- a city nestled in the high Andes and home to eight million people -- the lengthy jolt prompted sirens to go off and sparked widespread alarm.