Taiwan Quake Follows Chile, Haiti - but no dead, injured reported (to date)

Coming on the heels of the massive Chile quake, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck southern Taiwan today -- a region recovering from a major typhoon last August. So far, no deaths or injuries, but disruptions of train service and some minor damage to buildings.

Globally, these successive earthquake reports have geologists closely monitoring all geographic areas located on major faults.

This excerpt below from CNN.

6.4-magnitude quake hits southern TaiwanMarch 3, 2010 9:23 p.m. EST
Aftershocks follow; no immediate reports of deaths
Quake hits northwest of Taitung, on the southeast coast
Residents in southern Taiwan report blackouts; train services disrupted

(CNN) -- A 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted southern Taiwan on Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths but some damage has occurred to buildings and major bridges, and power was cut off near the epicenter.

The quake struck at about 8:20 a.m. (7:20 p.m. Wednesday ET) in a mountainous region about 25 miles northwest of Taitung, on the southeast coast, and 40 miles east of Tainan and Kaohsiung on the southwest coast.

The region, which includes Maolin National Scenic Area, is recovering from a direct hit by Typhoon Morakot that killed hundreds in August. The typhoon dumped more than two feet of rain, causing serious mudslides in the south, including one that buried the village of Shiao Lin under 50 feet of mud.

Thursday's quake was followed by several aftershocks, the largest reaching 4.8. The initial 6.4 quake rumbled to the surface from 14 miles deep.

The Taiwan Ministry of Interior and the National Fire Agency said electricity was cut off near the epicenter but had no further information.

Residents in southern Taiwan reported cracks in some buildings and major bridges. Train service was also disrupted in some areas, Taiwanese media reported.

[...]

Yu said World Vision "has already been on high alert responding to the quakes in Haiti and Chile, so we're closely monitoring reports in the earthquake in southern Taiwan."

Residents in the capital Taipei, 155 miles to the north, also felt the shaking.

Earthquakes are not uncommon in the 13,892-square-mile island -- about the size of the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware combined -- which sits across the juncture of the Eurasian and Philippine tectonic plates.

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the same general region in December. The island took a double hit on December 26, 2006, when earthquakes of 7.1 and 6.9 magnitude hit eight minutes apart.

Full report here.