Taiwan rattled by 7.0-magnitude earthquake
There have been no reports of major damage from across the island and no tsunami alert was issued after the quake, Taiwan's fire department said.
An earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County, Taiwan on Dec 27, 2025. (Image: USGS)
A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck about 30km off Taiwan's northeastern coastal city of Yilan late on Saturday (Dec 27), the island's weather administration said, with no immediate reports of major damage.
The quake with a depth of 73km was felt across north Taiwan and shook buildings in the capital Taipei, the administration added, giving it an intensity four category, meaning there could be minor damage.
Taipei city's government said there was no major damage reported in the immediate aftermath, with some isolated cases of damage including gas and water leakage and minor damage to buildings.
More than 3,000 homes in Yilan briefly lost power, Taiwan Power Company said.
Taiwan Railway said it suspended four trains operating in Yilan, affecting more than 270 passengers.
Taipei's metro lines were running at reduced speed for around 20 minutes until no abnormalities were reported in the stations and tracks, authorities said.
Major chipmaker TSMC said a small number of its facilities in the northern Hsinchu Science Park met evacuation thresholds after the quake and evacuated staff had since returned to their posts.
The weather administration said people should be on alert for aftershocks between 5.5 and 6.0 in the coming day. It also said damage from the quake should be limited because it was relatively deep and hit offshore.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a social media post that authorities had the situation under control and also urged the population to be on alert for aftershocks.
Taiwan is frequently hit by earthquakes due to its location on the edge of two tectonic plates near the Pacific Ring of Fire, which the USGS says is the most seismically active zone in the world.
On Wednesday, a 6.0-magnitude tremor struck the island's southeast.
In April 2024, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake killed 17 people as it triggered landslides and severely damaged buildings around Hualien city.
Officials at the time said it was Taiwan's strongest quake in 25 years.
It was the most serious in Taiwan since a 7.6-magnitude tremor struck in 1999 -- the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.
