Hengchun earthquake
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| Date | December 26, 2006 |
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| Origin time | 12:26:21 |
| Magnitude | 7.0 Mw |
| Depth | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Epicenter | 21°49′N 120°37′E / 21.82°N 120.61°ECoordinates: 21°49′N 120°37′E / 21.82°N 120.61°E |
| Areas affected | Republic of China |
| Tsunami | Yes |
| Aftershocks | 6.9 Mw Dec 26 at 12:34 5.5 Mb Dec 26 at 12:40 5.6 Mw Dec 27 at 2:30 |
| Casualties | 2 dead; 42 injured |
The 2006 Hengchun earthquakes occurred on December 26 at 20:26 and 20:34 local time off the southwest coast of Taiwan in the Luzon Strait, which connects the South China Sea with the Philippine Sea. The International Seismological Centre measured the shocks at 7.0 and 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale. The earthquakes not only caused casualties and building damage, but several submarine communications cables were cut, disrupting telecommunication services in various parts of Asia. Coincidentally, the earthquake occurred on the second anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake that devastated the coastal communities across Southeast and South Asia and 3rd anniversary of the 2003 earthquake that affected the southern Iranian city of Bam.
News agencies aired reports in southern Taiwan of collapsed houses, building fires, hotel guests being trapped in elevators, and telephone outages due to severed lines. Two people were reported killed and 42 injured. The earthquake was felt all over Taiwan, including the capital city of Taipei, which is 450 km (280 mi) north of Hengchun.
Power was knocked out to a reported 3,000 homes, but service was restored within a few hours. As of the following morning, cleanup was already underway.
Fifteen historical buildings, including a Grade 2 elephant site, have been damaged in the historic center of Hengchun.
The 3rd nuclear power plant, Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, of Taiwan Power Company nearby was affected by the earthquake. Because of the vigorous vibration, the alarm at Reactor #2 was activated, forcing the operators to carry out SCRAM immediately. However, Reactor #1 was not affected and remained operational. After the emergency shutdown of Reactor #2, engineers checked the facilities at the plant and no problems were found.
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