The 2016 Meinong earthquake was Taiwan's deadliest seismic event since the 1999 Jiji earthquake, killing 117 people.
Key Facts
- Moment magnitude
- 6.4
- Depth
- 23 km
- Death toll
- 117 deaths
- Aftershocks
- 68
- Max seismic intensity
- 7 (CWA scale)
- Primary collapse site
- Weiguan Jinlong building, Yongkang District
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Southern Taiwan sits within a seismically active zone. On 6 February 2016, tectonic stress released in the Meinong District of Kaohsiung produced a magnitude 6.4 earthquake at a comparatively shallow depth of about 23 km, which amplified ground shaking at the surface.
At 03:57 local time, the earthquake struck 28 km northeast of Pingtung City, registering a maximum intensity of 7 on the Central Weather Administration scale. The violent shaking caused widespread structural damage across southern Taiwan and triggered 68 aftershocks.
117 people were killed, nearly all in the collapse of the Weiguan Jinlong residential building in Yongkang District; two additional fatalities occurred in Gueiren District. The disaster became the deadliest earthquake in Taiwan since the 1999 Jiji earthquake and prompted scrutiny of building safety standards.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 117 (earthquake)