A powerful undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck off the eastern coast of Taiwan on Saturday night, December 27, 2025, sending strong tremors across the entire island. The quake hit at 11:05 PM local time, according to data from the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Quake Details and Seismic Impact
The earthquake's epicenter was located in the ocean off Yilan County. The USGS estimated the quake occurred at a significant depth of between 67 to 72.8 kilometers (41 to 45 miles). This deep-seated tremor caused substantial shaking, particularly in the northern and eastern regions of Taiwan.
Taiwan's Central Weather Administration reported varying intensities of shaking, with areas closer to the offshore epicenter experiencing the strongest vibrations. Chen Ta-yi, a senior official at the administration's Earthquake Monitoring Center, stated that their agency recorded the quake at magnitude 7.0. He noted this was one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Taiwan in recent decades.
Immediate Aftermath and Infrastructure Disruptions
In the initial hours following the quake, no fatalities were reported. However, the event caused widespread disruptions and minor damage. A section of the ceiling at Taipei's Taoyuan International Airport collapsed, as reported by the Central News Agency.
Power outages were confirmed in Nan'ao Township in Yilan County, according to PTS News. Transportation services were heavily impacted. The Kaohsiung Rapid Transit and light rail services were temporarily suspended. All trains on the Taipei Metro were ordered to proceed slowly for safety checks.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a global chipmaking giant, evacuated some workers from its facilities as a precautionary measure after reaching evacuation protocol limits. Social media was flooded with posts from residents across Taiwan showing minor damage to their homes.
Ongoing Risks and Official Response
Authorities immediately urged residents to follow safety protocols as aftershocks continued. Chen Ta-yi warned that the possibility of aftershocks reaching magnitude 5.5 or higher within the next week cannot be ruled out, with northern Taiwan likely to be most affected.
Emergency services sprang into action. Taipei police received two reports of people trapped due to the quake, and fire department personnel were quickly dispatched to assist the affected residents. Inspections of critical infrastructure are ongoing.
The Nuclear Safety Commission conducted inspections and confirmed that the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 Nuclear Power Plants were operating normally with no issues detected. Taiwan is located on the seismically active "Pacific Ring of Fire," making it prone to earthquakes. The nation's deadliest quake in recent history was a magnitude 7.6 temblor in 1999 that killed over 2,300 people.
