Earthquake Taiwan (Nantou county) - 5 people killed, 1 person missing and at least 20 people injured

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Update June 16 - 09:47 UTC : One injured woman died in hospital on June 14th.

Update June 3 - 09:42 UTC : One more fatality in Taiwan. 3 people have been killed by rockfall and a 4th was buried by a landslide. New NFA reports are also saying that 19 people sustained serious injuries (number of seriously injured people is in conflict with other reports).
The backpack and the fishing gear of the missing person has been found in the meantime.
- A lot of school buildings have sustained damage
- no precise indications of other material damage so far

Update June 3 - 07:48 UTC : We are sad to report that the Taiwan earthquake death toll has increased again. It has caused 3 fatalities, one missing and three people seriously injured, 17 had minor injuries.

Update 15:12 UTC : A second person was confirmed killed by the authorities. One person is still missing. Number of injured rises to 21, 3 of them seriously injured. Most of this persons were wounded by the rockfalls and landslides which were triggered by the quake. The cause of both fatalities was also rockfall. 3 persons suffered minor injuries by broken glass.

Update 10:58 UTC : Number of injuries rises to 19. 3 of them are seriously injured.

Update 10:12 UTC : 1 killed, 2 seriously injured and 16 slightly injured persons are reported now.

Update 08:48 UTC : And yet another video recorded in Nantou (not so close to the epicenter we think), but nevertheless showing the shaking.

Update 08:43 UTC : The well informed Chinanews reports that at least 17 people have been slightly injured, 1 seriously injured and 1 killed during this earthquake.

Update 08:39 UTC : Another private video showing the damage at a house in Nantou county. Most of the houses in Taiwan have been build according to strict seismic building rules and we see in almost every important earthquake that the damage is after all limited. The house/building structure has a lot of resistance. The damage part is at the end of the video.

Update 08:20 UTC : Some of the stranded tourists are being injured

Update 08:08 UTC : We are searching for more details but most of the reports are to vague to be printed here

Update 07:59 UTC : 3 aftershocks so far respectively M3.1, M3.6 and M3.8

Update 07:58 UTC : Luckily no more fatalities at this point (lets hope it remains like this). At least 7 climbers injured by rockfall. A woman was hit by a landslide while driving with her car, she was severely injured.

Update 07:54 UTC : We talk a lot about reported rockfall. Hard to imagine what it looks like? Check the image below from one of the scenes

Update 07:44 UTC : Taiwan's "Defense Ministry" has requested to complete the first five combat zone troops preparedness, disaster relief initiative to help the public. We have various reports of collapsed walls in houses.

Update 07:42 UTC : more than 1000 tourists are trapped on a mountain platform, because the cable railway was destroyed by landslide

Update 07:40 UTC : Taiwanese police reports that many people have been slightly injured by debris from ceilings.
Sunday afternoon in Taiwan means that many people enjoyed the mountain scene, which is in part the reason that so many people are trapped in these areas.

Update 07:30 UTC : Euronews reports that at least 1 person has been killed in Taiwan due to the earthquake. The killed person was a mountain climber who was killed by rockfall.

Update 07:24 UTC : these are the landslides which happened in many places in Taiwan. Hopefully you are not on the path of the slide

Image courtesy and copyright weibo.com

Update 07:24 UTC : USGS revised shaking map (now increased to VII MMI = very strong shaking)

Update 07:20 UTC : More than 1000 tourists are trapped in Nantou county due to many landslides. Power is off in some areas. Cable car service is suspended.

Update 07:17 UTC : We get reports of many injuries in the Central Part of Taiwan due to rockfall. Rescue teams are being send to these locations.

Update 07:13 UTC : CWB (Central Weather Bureau Taiwan Intensity values) :
CWB 6 : Caoling, Yunlin County
CWB 5 : Sun Moon Lake, Nantou County, Puli, Nantou County, Ershui, Changhua County, Alishan, Chiayi County, Gukeng, Yunlin County, Changhua City, Changhua County, Dadu, Taichung City, Chiayi City, Sihu, Yunlin County, Mingjian, Nantou County and Tainan City
CWB 4 : Yuchi, Nantou County, Wufeng, Taichung City, Hehuanshan, Nantou County, Yuanlin, Changhua County, Deji, Taichung City, Xilin, Hualien County, Dongshi, Taichung City, Douliu City, Yunlin County, Shoufeng, Hualien County, Guangfu, Hualien County, Yanliao, Hualien County, Waipu, Taichung City, Hualien City, Hualien County, Sanyi, Miaoli County, Caoshan, Chiayi County, Dacheng, Changhua County, Changbin, Taitung County, Liujiao, Chiayi County, Nanxi, Tainan City, Heping, Hualien County, Taichung City, Yongkang, Tainan City, Nantou City, Nantou County

Update 07:06 UTC : people were injured by falling rocks in Alishan Township

Update 07:02 UTC : USGS has changed his earthquake data seriously and now reports a Mw Magnitude of 6.2 at a depth of 20 km, the best data so far today. Focal mechanism is still reverse and shows a subduction type of earthquake (1 plate subducts the continental plate)

Update 07:00 UTC : For your information only : The Chinese Seismological Agency reports a Magnitude of 6.7 at a depth of 9 km. China is rather close to Taiwan and sees the island as part of China. Shaking in Taiwan in often also felt in the coastal provinces of China.

Update 06:55 UTC : Central Taiwan High Speed Rail service has been suspended. 2 big gas explosions are reported from an area near the epicenter but we are not certain that these explosions can be linked to earthquake itself.

Update 06:51 UTC : The Taiwanese Prime Minister told reporters that this earthquake "was the largest this year in Taiwan"

Update 06:47 UTC : We are getting more reports of (so far slight) damage in Nantou county

Update 06:45 UTC : We have reports of a big landslide in Nantou Chuan

Update 06:43UTC : We have currently some server problems and are trying to repair them.

Update 06:11 UTC : Focal mechanism of this earthquake (preliminary FM from CPPGeophysics). reverse faulting (earthquake occurred mainly because 2 sides of a fault pushing towards each other).

Update 06:11 UTC : Local seismological agency CWB is reporting a Magnitude of 6.3 at a depth of 10 km. We fear however the shaking values from CWB as these are a lot higher than USGS.
Caoling county would have a 6 CWB shaking. CWB has another scale and this means very strong shaking, probably damaging.

Update 06:11 UTC : We expect also landslides to occur in this very mountainous area and even more after recent rainfall.

Update 06:06 UTC : USGS has also changed the depth to 14 km, still very shallow. The Maximum shaking now reported by USGS is V or moderate shaking. This means that according to USGS no important damage or injuries can be expected. They are maintaining however there Magnitude at Mw 6.5

Update 06:03 UTC : USGS has changed the location of his epicenter which looks a lot better now than before but we call it still dangerous for damage and injuries. USGS gives also a higher Magnitude than the other agencies : M6.5

25km (16mi) SE of Buli, Taiwan
39km (24mi) E of Lugu, Taiwan
49km (30mi) ESE of Nantou, Taiwan
49km (30mi) ESE of Zhongxing New Village, Taiwan
734km (456mi) ENE of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Update 06:02 UTC : The earthquake occurred in the central mountains area but was very shallow and close to a number of villages at the western side of the mountains.

Very shallow dangerous earthquake close to Buli, Taiwan

4km (2mi) NE of Buli, Taiwan
32km (20mi) E of Zhongxing New Village, Taiwan
35km (22mi) ENE of Nantou, Taiwan
36km (22mi) ESE of Taichung, Taiwan
725km (450mi) ENE of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 6.2

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-06-02 13:43:04

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-06-02 05:43:04

Depth (Hypocenter) : 20 km

Depth and Magnitude updates in the list below.

Share your earthquake experience (I Have Felt It) with our readers.
Click on the "I Felt It" button behind the corresponding earthquake. Your earthquake experience is not only important for science, but also for people in the area as well as our global readership.

					Refresh this list
SRC	Location	UTC Date/time	M	D	INFO
EMSC	Taiwan	Jun 02 10:16	4.6	10	MAP I Felt It INFO
PTWC	Taiwan	Jun 02 05:52	6.5	10	MAP
Jhubei - My bed moved a bit. Felt a definite swaying and my chandelier is still moving. Huelong (near Taishan) - at 1:46pm, at 10th floor. little bit of swing for 5sec then stronger swing for 20sec. No scare. JC taichung - experienced earthquake at 19 floors, felt body was moving back and forth, walking impaired by shake Datong Dist. Taipei City - Moved hanging objects in apartment. taichung - building was shaking Miaoli City, Miaoli County - 3rd floor apartment shook for about 10 seconds. Water splashed side to side and broom fell over, curtains swayed slightly. Miaoli, Taiwan - Lasted about ten seconds Lujhu Township, Taiwan - Lasted about 30 seconds, could clearly feel the ground moving beneath my feet. Hanging lights all swung. Not particularly strong, but lasted longer than usual. TAIPEI TAIWAN - tremblement de terre ressenti a taipei taiwan ROC, le 6/02 vers 13h45 heure locale. secousse modéré, les lustres se ballancent mais pas de chute d'objets. Taipei - First earthquake experience but local friends say it was moderate/mild. TAIPEI TAIWAN - les lustres ont bougés, mais aucon objet n'est tombé. Taipei - about 15 seconds of building oscillations. hanging lights swaying. no damage to building. Yonghe District, New Taipei - Light swaying, weak but very very long Hsinchu, City Taiwan - The plates rattled, but nothing broke! Kaohsiung - The building shook and we could feel That the ground was shaking No damage but everybody in the restaurant here stopped talking, Duration About 30 seconds Taipei - the shakes were very... big. not small, fast vibration but wide, slow rocking. there was no major damage to my house or neighborhood, but it was nerve-wracking. taichung - billboard was moving,tableshaking for quite a while, Changua, Paisha Village - I hate these fucking tremblors! Tainan - For a European it was a lot of shaking on 10th floor in hotel. Woke me from a sleep @ 13:50 Keelung - Relatively short (10 sec) but strong enough to make furniture lamp moving around. Taipei - First earthquake experience ever, while visiting friends. I'm 25 floors up and the entire building was shaking... very intense and crazy! Dansui - The pictures on the wall swinging, the water in my cup moving, my chair moving... Hsinchu - No damage noted Taipei - Less than 5 second Hshinchu - felt walls move 3-4 times Tianmu, Shilin District - It was shaking when my family and I was sitting down. Quite frightening. Had to go down stairs for safety though Chiayi City - Ruined my nap. Kaohsiung - Felt desk swaying, then noticed that the walls were swaying! Taichung City - I'm afraid I don't have much reference on earthquakes, but sounds like a "Light Shaking" event basedon the descriptors provided. Tainan - Pretty big. We are on the 15th floor of an apartment building. It was shaking side to side for almost a minute. Even my kids bike was rolling back and forth on its training wheels. Hsinchu, Taiwan - Not violent shaking 13th floor Howard Plaza Hotel, building swaying north south direction at least 1 foot either direction. duration 2 plus minutes Baozhong - this one lasted much longer than others we've experienced Hsinchu - The Earth was shaking strongly for about 1 minute or more in Hsinchu Gangshan - significant shaking on the 6th floor New Taipei city - On 18th floor of Caesar Park Hotel Taipei. Room moved back and forth, and curtains were swinging. Hotel delivered me room service anyway 🙂 Changhua, Paisha Village - Pretty good shaker, everything moving, stuff falling to the floor. Hsinchu - 22 floor, swung lots back and forth. Lasted 30 seconds. Nothing fell over but curtains and hanging lights swung Kaohsiung - Sitting at computer and felt a jolt. Went to stand in the doorway for 1.5 minutes. While standing in the doorway, I observed doors and wall hangings swinging. Xiamen, Fujian - Most coworkers didn't feel it. Some friends in Xiamen felt it. Taipei - 18th floor of the Grand Hyatt. Room shook for 40 secs or so, oscillations with a period of about a second. Taichung - On 21st floor building shaking and swaying. Very scary experience. Novotel at Taoyuan Airpot - In my room at hotel. Moderate to strong shaking. Duration > 10 seconds, < 15 seconds. Drapes fluttered at windows. Witnessed floor movement due to displacement of rug fabric on floor. Taichung - At 11th floor. Curtains clearly move. Buidling moved with more than 10 cm. Taipei - Pretty strong, horizontal shake. Tainan - Walls and curtains shaking for a good 40 seconds, it felt a lot stronger than the one on March 26 that was 6.1 Wujia, Fengshan, Kaohsiung - It felt like my room was moving back and forth. Things on my racks were swaying and bumping into each other. Yikes! Kaohsiung - 41st floor of Grand Hi-Lai Hotel Kaohsiung. Room moved back and forth, and curtains were moving as the building creeked. Lasted about 45 sec before it subsided. Taipei City - 5th floor hotel, mild shaking back and forth for arounrd 60sec Kaohsiung county, niaosong - Long lasting Zhubei - On the 17th floor at the Sheraton. 30-40 sec of moderate to strong shaking. Yikes. taipei - i stay in 4th floor in my dorm at dingxi, the bed and the shelf had shaken for a minute fangyuan township - I wash want to sleep on my room than feel my bed is shaking very strong than I jumping out till my head pain now , ohh norvast taipei - I saw the ceiling actually crack, and i had to hang up the phone and thought I was ready to escape from the building. Douliou - Strong shaking on the 11th floor. Bookcase knocked over, other items shaken. Had to hold on to the wall. Outside tiles and masonary knocked off walls. Taipei, Guandu - Definite whole building swaying. Nothing broken or falling, but makes me feel dizzy. Third floor of building. Tainan-Yongkang - quite a strong earthquake, but no damage noted. We are located at the ground floor and as usual waited a moment until it's over, but it didn't stopped so everybody went out. Hanging Lights were moving, and Ground was shaking to give us a strong feeling that we are in danger. No we back in the house and call it just another earthquake over here in Tainan-Yongkang. taipei - I have also experienced last earthquake in March. But this time we are on 12th floor and we just went down by stairs as soon as possible..... very terrific experience. Zhishan - We were on first floor and it started shaking. It was my first experience in Taiwan and we all move out of our house kaohsiung - Movements of building 30/40s Hsinchu City - Pretty intense earthquake, no damage 🙂 Mailiao - First time for me in an earthquake. Felt initial very light shaking followed by more intense shaking that rattled the wardrobe and othe room fittings. The sensation of the room swaying was rather strange. Xinyi district, Taipei - I felt the wave come in then intensify and strengthen the subside to a wave. Even water on the counter, juice in the refrigerator and water in the pipes in the walls wiggled and jiggled... The news stream from Facebook was full of stories of people talking about cars sliding around on the highway and Televisions crashing to the floor. Born in California I am used to quakes, yet, this was a strong one. Yet, due to the quality of our construction here, I felt reasonably safe as I held my wife tigh Hsinchu - In my hotel room and the whole building started shaking, 10th floor, about 1min shaking and went under the desk for precaution! Nothing fell down but big shake! Taipei - My building rocked and creaked, everything under me moved. No damage. Taipei - Was in the shower, wasn't sure what it was at first, but the shaking was more violent than usual. Taichung, Taiwan - I was lying on the floor using my laptop when I felt the room start to shake. I was surprised to find that the shaking grew in intensity and lasted over a minute. I thought the earthquake was stronger than the earthquake that happened on March 27th this year but that earthquake was a 6.1 and this one was a 6.2 so the difference might be that I am higher up in my apartment building and not in my office at work. It did feel as though the whole building was shaking back and forth. Jiaoxi - lights shaking, floor moving/shaking for an extended period (over 30 seconds it felt like) Jhushan Township - It was very very scaring. I was in the 1st floor on my studio when I heard from far a muffled rumble, got up real fast and started shaking a lot, I ran for the door and it started shaking even stronger, a lot of stuff fell and I thought the house was going to collapse, I used all my strength but couldn't unlock the front door because it was still shaking and when it stopped the door was jammed, I called my wife, 2 blocks from here she was crying, they had gas leak at home too. Supermarket a mess Fuzhou - Building was going from side side "17th floor" all for a good 30/40 seconds. Lamps where moving,plants where shaking. taipei - Was in Munich store- displays started moving... intense pressure in my head. Xinzhuang - I didn't notice the shaking until I stood up from my desk. Calendar on the wall swung and I felt light shaking but nothing extreme. kaohsiung - ha ha what an experience in 8th floor. everything was shaking with sound in the 8th floor at my work place. A new experience for me. Taipei - I was standing and felt the movement, then I looked how some small trees in an inner garden were shaking Jhushan Township - We where seat at the living room looking at tv news from the earlier earthquake, I felt it was moderate but felt stronger for the early scare, no falling things this time. Taipei Zhongzheng - I was about to close the door of my apartment on the 10th floor when the building started to shake horizontally quite strongly for like 5-10 seconds. I got very scared but just stayed under the door hoping that it will pass away soon. Taipei - Bed was rocking windows were rattling Xiamen, Fujian - Bed was shaking Yongkang City, China - While dining on the first floor, I felt a pretty strong shaking which lasted about a minute or so. Quite unusual since the only ones I have experienced in town before we're ones from the 2nd floor and higher. So I was certain this was quite a powerful earthquake that hit. Taipei - I was in xi men ding having mala steamboat. Felt the shake but others are very calm. No running but continue enjoying the steamboat
GEOFON	Taiwan	Jun 02 05:43	6.2	10	MAP
EMSC	Taiwan	Jun 02 05:43	6.2	20	MAP I Felt It INFO
USGS	Taiwan	Jun 02 05:43	6.2	20	MAP
WCATWC	Taiwan	Jun 02 05:43	6.5	9	MAP

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Latitude (area) where you felt the earthquake
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Shaking Strength *
MMI II (Very weak shaking)	? People : Felt by persons at rest, on upper floors or favorably placed.
MMI III (Weak shaking)	? People : Felt indoors; hanging objects may swing, vibration similar to passing of light trucks, duration may be estimated, may not be recognized as an earthquake.
MMI IV (Light shaking)	? People : Generally noticed indoors but not outside. Light sleepers may be awakened. Vibration may be likened to the passing of heavy traffic, or to the jolt of a heavy object falling or striking the building. Fittings : Doors and windows rattle. Glassware and crockery rattle. Liquids in open vessels may be slightly disturbed. Standing motorcars may rock. Structures : Walls and frames of buildings, and partitions and suspended ceilings in commercial buildings, may be heard to creak.
MMI V (Moderate shaking)	? People : Generally felt outside, and by almost everyone indoors. Most sleepers awakened. A few people alarmed. Fittings : Small unstable objects are displaced or upset. Some glassware and crockery may be broken. Hanging pictures knock against the wall. Open doors may swing. Cupboard doors secured by magnetic catches may open. Pendulum clocks stop, start, or change rate. Structures : Some large display windows cracked. A few earthenware toilet fixtures cracked.
MMI VI (Strong shaking)	? People Felt by all. People and animals alarmed. Many run outside. Difficulty experienced in walking steadily. Fittings : Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall from walls. Some furniture moved on smooth floors, some unsecured free-standing fireplaces moved. Glassware and crockery broken. Very unstable furniture overturned. Small church and school bells ring. Appliances move on bench or table tops. Filing cabinets or "easy glide" drawers may open (or shut). Structures : Slight damage to buildings with low standard. Some stucco or cement plaster falls. Large display windows broken. Damage to a few weak domestic chimneys, some may fall. Environment : Trees and bushes shake, or are heard to rustle. Loose material may be dislodged from sloping ground, e.g. existing slides, talus slopes, shingle slides.
MMI VII (Very strong shaking)	? People General alarm. Difficulty experienced in standing. Noticed by motorcar drivers who may stop. Fittings : Large bells ring. Furniture moves on smooth floors, may move on carpeted floors. Substantial damage to fragile contents of buildings. Structures : Unreinforced stone and brick walls cracked. Low standard buildings cracked with some minor masonry falls. A few instances of damage to buildings of ordinary workmanship. Unbraced parapets, unbraced brick gables, and architectural ornaments fall. Roofing tiles, especially ridge tiles may be dislodged. Many unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, often falling from roof-line. Water tanks Type I burst. A few instances of damage to brick veneers and plaster or cement-based linings. Unrestrained water cylinders (hot-water cylinders) may move and leak. Some common windows cracked. Suspended ceilings damaged. Environment : Water made turbid by stirred up mud. Small slides such as falls of sand and gravel banks, and small rock-falls from steep slopes and cuttings. Instances of settlement of unconsolidated or wet, or weak soils. Some fine cracks appear in sloping ground. A few instances of liquefaction (i.e. small water and sand ejections).
MMI VIII (Severe shaking)	? People Alarm may approach panic. Steering of motorcars greatly affected. Structures : Low standard buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. ordinary workmanship buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged in some cases. A few instances of damage to buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes. Monuments and pre-1976 elevated tanks and factory stacks twisted or brought down. Some pre-1965 infill masonry panels damaged. A few post-1980 brick veneers damaged. Decayed timber piles of houses damaged. Houses not secured to foundations may move. Most unreinforced domestic chimneys damaged, some below roof-line, many brought down. Environment : Cracks appear on steep slopes and in wet ground. Small to moderate slides in roadside cuttings and unsupported excavations. Small water and sand ejections and localized lateral spreading adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
MMI IX (Violent shaking)	? Structures Many low standard buildings destroyed. Ordinary workmanship buildings heavily damaged, some collapse. Reinforced masonry or concrete buildings damaged, some with partial collapse. Buildings and bridges designed and built to resist earthquakes damaged in some cases, some with flexible frames seriously damaged. Damage or permanent distortion to some buildings and bridges, designed and built to normal use standards. Houses not secured to foundations shifted off. Brick veneers fall and expose frames. Environment : Cracking of ground conspicuous. Landsliding general on steep slopes. Liquefaction effects intensified and more widespread, with large lateral spreading and flow sliding adjacent to streams, canals, lakes, etc.
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Earthquake Taiwan (Nantou county) - 5 people killed, 1 person missing and at least 20 people injured

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