On Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported a 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Japan’s Bonin Islands. According to the USGS, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 503.2 kilometres (312.7 miles).
United States Geological Survey
Japan, one of the world’s most tectonically active countries, has stringent building codes that ensure structures can withstand even the most violent earthquakes.
Every year, the archipelago of over 125 million people gets approximately 1,500 jolts, the great majority of which are moderate.
Earlier, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook Taiwan on Wednesday, the largest tremor to strike the island in at least 25 years.
Killing one person, wounding others, and triggering a tsunami warning for southern Japan and the Philippines.
Taiwan’s Fire Department
According to Taiwan’s fire department, one person is suspected of being crushed to death by falling rocks in the hilly, thinly populated eastern county of Hualien.
To the report, at least 26 buildings have collapsed, with more than half in Hualien, trapping approximately 20 people and requiring ongoing rescue efforts.
Taiwan television stations broadcast footage of buildings at precarious angles in Hualien, where the quake occurred close offshore at 8 a.m. (0000GMT) as people were heading to work and school.
According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, the quake struck at a depth of 15.5 kilometres (9.6 miles).
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