Taiwan suffered more than 80 earthquakes overnight

More than 80 earthquakes, the strongest measuring 6.3 magnitude, hit Taiwan's east coast starting from the evening of April 22 to the early morning of April 23 .

According to Reuters News Agency, several earthquakes have shaken buildings in Taiwan's Taipei city.

Many houses were damaged after repeated earthquakes in Taiwan on the night of April 22 and early morning of April 23. (Photo: Taiwan Fire Department).

The first strong earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.5, occurred around 5:08 p.m. on April 22 local time, or 4:08 p.m. Vietnam time, according to Taiwan's weather management agency.

This was followed by a series of aftershocks and earthquakes, of which two strong ones followed each other at around 2:30 a.m. on April 23 local time, or 1:30 a.m. Vietnam time.

Mr. Olivier Bonifacio, a tourist staying in Taipei, told AFP: "I was washing my hands when I suddenly felt dizzy."

"I walked into the room and noticed the building shaking and heard the table creaking ," Mr. Bonifacio said, adding that that's when he realized it was another aftershock.

According to AFP News Agency, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred at 2:26 a.m. local time, followed six minutes later by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake.

Meanwhile, the US Geological Survey recorded the first earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1, followed by a magnitude of 6.0.

The earthquakes were concentrated in the eastern Hualien district, which is largely rural. Also in Hualien on April 3, at least 14 people died after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

Taiwan has suffered hundreds of aftershocks since then.

Early on the morning of April 23, the Hualien Fire Department said a hotel that was damaged on April 3 and is no longer operating is now leaning slightly to one side. However, there were no reports of any casualties.

Taiwan is located near the intersection of two tectonic plates and frequently experiences earthquakes.

More than 100 people died in an earthquake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a magnitude 7.3 quake killed more than 2,000 people there in 1999.