Premier Mao Chi-kuo ordered government agencies to be on alert after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan at 9:42 a.m. today, Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun said.
Mao promptly asked the Executive Yuan's Office of Disaster Management to assess damage or injuries in affected areas. He also directed government agencies to watch for any impacts the temblor may have left on business activities, transportation and surrounding environments.
Aside from an electricity transformer explosion that sparked an apartment fire and left one dead and one injured in New Taipei City, no other significant injuries were reported, Sun said.
The National Rescue Command Center's helicopter crews also found no damage along hazardous road sections in eastern Taiwan, including on the Suhua Highway. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications reported that some trains were slowed as a safety precaution, but no damage to the railways was found.
The Executive Yuan urged citizens to be cautious when entering mountainous areas after an earthquake as loosened rocks and soil may turn into landslides in the event of heavy rains.