Second powerful earthquake hits Taiwan

Taipei: A second powerful earthquake measuring a magnitude of 6.8 struck Taitung County, Taiwan on Sunday, according to the island’s weather bureau.

No immediate reports of damage have been reported in local media. The shockwaves from the earthquake were felt in the capital, Taipei.

The US Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude 7.2 and the US Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning in Taiwan after the tremor, reports news agency Reuters.

The 6.8 magnitude earthquake, at 2.44 pm, is the largest quake to hit Taiwan so far in the last 48 hours.

Earlier, a 5.9 magnitude quake hit the country at 1:19 pm. Another 6.4 magnitude quake, 50km (30 miles) north of the coastal city of Taitung at 10 kilometres (six miles) deep, was reported on Saturday.

Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes as the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates. The island does not issue tsunami warnings unless a quake is more powerful than magnitude 7.0.

The USGS estimated there was a low likelihood of casualties on Saturday, though said some damage was possible.

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