Taiwan

Strong Earthquake Strikes Northeastern Taiwan

Did Taiwan's rigorous preparation save lives, or was it just lucky with the earthquake's location?

DEC 27 2025·Updated DEC 29 2025

Strong Earthquake Strikes Northeastern Taiwan

Story

Above: The Taipei 101 building among residential and commercial buildings in Taipei on Oct. 2, 2025. Image credit: I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

A strong earthquake struck some 32 kilometers (20 miles) off the coastal city of Yilan in northeastern Taiwan on Saturday, with no reports of major damage across the island.
Reuters
Taipei Times
USA Today
According to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration, the magnitude was 7.0, while the U.S. Geological Survey and the China Earthquake Networks Center reported that the magnitude stood at 6.6. The quake occurred at a depth of 60-73 kilometers (37-45 miles).
Taiwan Central Weather Administration
US Geological Survey
XINHUA
Intensity in 17 areas of Taiwan, including Yilan County, Taichung City, Tainan City, Taoyuan City, Taipei City and New Taipei City, was measured at 4.0 on the country's seven-tier scale, while five other areas, including Kaohsiung City, registered lower levels of intensity.
Taiwan Central Weather Administration
US Geological Survey
Taiwan News
Metro services in Taipei and Taichung were temporarily operated at reduced speed before resuming normal operations, thousands of homes in a township in Yilan County briefly lost power, and major chipmaker TSMC evacuated some staff from facilities at Hsinchu Science Park as a precaution.
Focus Taiwan
Reuters
The Mirror
While Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on social media that the situation was under control, he urged residents to be alert for aftershocks of magnitude 5.5 to 6.0. Located near the junction of two tectonic plates, the island is prone to earthquakes.
Reuters
USA Today
Al Arabiya English on X
If a 7.0-magnitude earthquake is confirmed, this would be the third one of magnitude 7.0 or higher to rock Taiwan, following a 7.4-magnitude quake in April 2024 that killed 17 people and a 7.3-magnitude temblor in 1999. More than 100 people died in a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in February 2016.
Taipei Times
The Mirror
Daily Mail on Youtube

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Taiwan's two decades of rigorous preparation transformed a potential catastrophe into a manageable crisis. Stricter building codes after 1999, mandatory earthquake drills and advanced early warning systems meant Taiwan survived largely unscathed while similar quakes devastated countries such as Turkey and New Zealand.

Guardian

The Associated Press

Narrative B

Taiwan's preparedness deserves credit, but luck was the real lifesaver. Once again, the epicenter struck offshore near sparsely populated areas. Had the epicenter been on land in densely populated areas, the death toll would've rivaled other deadly disasters.