Shallow M6.4 earthquake hits near Hualien City, Taiwan
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration as M6.4 hit near Hualien City at 11:00 UTC (19:00 local time) on June 11, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 31 km (19 miles). The USGS registered this quake as M5.9 at a depth of 31 km.
Epicenter of M6.4 earthquake near Hualien City, Taiwan on June 11, 2025. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 72 km (45 miles) S of Hualien City (population 350 468), 97 km (60 miles) SE of Puli (population 86 406), and 100 km (62 miles) ESE of Lugu (population 17 746), Taiwan.
According to the USGS PAGER, 93 000 people are estimated to have felt moderate shaking and 14 932 000 light. The agency issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are unknown/miscellaneous types and heavy wood frame construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
Taiwan sits near the boundary of the Philippine Sea Plate and Eurasian Plate, making it a region of high seismic activity due to complex tectonic interactions and frequent earthquakes.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.4 earthquake Taiwan – CWA – June 11, 2025
2 M5.9 earthquake Taiwan – USGS – June 11, 2025
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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