Magnitude-6.1 earthquake jolts Taiwan, kills one
Taipei - A strong earthquake struck central Taiwan Wednesday, killing one person and causing minor damage to buildings throughout the island.
The magnitude-6.1 quake, which occurred at 10:03 am local time (0203 GMT), was centred in Nantou county at a depth of 15.4kilometres, the Central Weather Bureau said.
A 72-year-old woman was killed near the epicentre when a temple wall collapsed and crushed her. The quake also injured 19 people, according to the National Fire Agency.
The worst of the damage was in central Taiwan although the shaking was felt across the island. The quake broke windows, caused cracks to develop in buildings and collapsed ceilings, media reports said.
Boulders tumbled down a mountainside and onto a highway in Nantou county, crushing a truck and injuring three people, the Liberty Times newspaper reported.
Both Taiwan's high-speed rail and regular rail services were shutdown for more than an hour as authorities checked for damage on the tracks.
The earthquake was the strongest to strike Taiwan since February 2012 and caused more noticeable damage because of its relatively shallow depth.//DPA
