Earthquake Hits Southern Taiwan

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan on 4 March 2010. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was centered in the mountainous region around the city of Kaohsiung and struck at approximately 0818 local time (0018 GMT) at a depth of 22 mi/35 km. Government officials stated that at least 11 people suffered injuries in the quake, which reportedly lasted several minutes. Eyewitnesses stated that some rolling power outages occurred in Taipei following the quake. The rail network in southern Taiwan was shut down because of minor damage on some train tracks. The earthquake also reportedly sparked five separate fires in Kaohsiung and the surrounding area in southern Taiwan. The initial earthquake was followed by at least one strong aftershock several hours later; there were no reports of major damage from the aftershock.