Taiwan Rocked By Second Earthquake

A moderate earthquake shook central Taiwan on Monday evening, seismologists said, a day after a stronger one struck the same area. No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 4.3, struck an area 27 miles north of Mount Yu, the Central Weather Bureau said. Mount Yu, the highest mountain in Taiwan, is about 180 miles south of Taipei.

Early Sunday, a 6.7-magnitude quake set off rock slides in the same area, with huge boulders blocking traffic on several highways. That temblor injured 36 people and caused two people to die of heart attacks.

A 7.6-magnitude quake devastated central Taiwan in September, killing about 2,400 people and destroying thousands of homes. Since the earthquake, more than 12,000 aftershocks and minor tremors have rattled the island. Most have been harmless.

Located along the earthquake-prone Pacific Rim and crisscrossed by 51 fault lines, Taiwan is hit by scores of earthquakes each year, but few cause serious damage.