More than 80 earthquakes, the strongest measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck Taiwan's east coast starting Monday night and continuing into the early hours of Tuesday. The tremors were centered on the largely rural eastern county of Hualien, where a 7.2-magnitude earthquake on April 3rd claimed the lives of at least 14 people. Hundreds of aftershocks have been recorded since then.
The fire department in Hualien reported early Tuesday that a hotel, already damaged in the April 3rd earthquake and no longer operational, was now leaning slightly on its side. Fortunately, there were no reports of casualties from the latest tremors.
Taiwan's location near the junction of two tectonic plates makes it prone to earthquakes. A 2016 earthquake in southern Taiwan killed more than 100 people, while a 7.3-magnitude earthquake in 1999 claimed the lives of over 2,000.