Taitung: A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Taitung County in eastern Taiwan at 4:11 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter was located at sea, 101.2 kilometers south-southeast from Taitung County Hall, at a depth of 18.1 km, CWA data showed.
According to Focus Taiwan, the intensity of the quake, measuring the actual effect of a seismic event, was highest on the outlying Orchid Island, where it registered a 4 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. There were no immediate reports of damage on the island. Meanwhile, the highest intensity recorded on the main island of Taiwan was a 2 in Pingtung County, located in southern Taiwan, as per the CWA.
Southern Taiwan has experienced several earthquakes in recent days, beginning with a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck a mountainous area near the Chiayi County-Tainan border on January 21 at 12:17 a.m. An additional 25 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher have been recorded in the Chiayi/Tainan area since then. However, the CWA clarified that Wednesday's temblor off Taiwan's southeastern coast was not related to those earlier quakes.