Strong quake shakes Taiwan, though no damage immediately reported

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — An earthquake shook Taiwan connected Wednesday morning, mounting disconnected alarms successful the capital, but nary harm was instantly reported.

The Central Weather Administration measured the quake astatine 5.8 magnitude. The shaking successful Taipei lasted lone a fewer seconds.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.0 quake was astir 21 kilometers (12 miles) south-southeast of Yilan connected the northeast coast. It was centered 69 kilometers (43 miles) beneath the Earth's surface. Deeper quakes tin beryllium wide felt portion mostly causing little harm than shallow quakes.

Taiwan lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the enactment of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean from Chile to New Zealand wherever astir of the world’s earthquakes occur.

Taiwan's worst modern quake, a 1999 magnitude 7.7 temblor killed 2,415 people, damaged buildings astir the land of 23 cardinal radical and led to tightened gathering codes, amended effect times and coordination and wide nationalist acquisition campaigns connected earthquake safety.

Schools and workplaces clasp earthquake drills, portion cellphones buzz whenever a beardown earthquake is detected.