Strong M6.6 earthquake hits near Yilan, Taiwan
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.6 hit near Yilan, Taiwan, at 15:05 UTC (23:05 local time) on December 27, 2025. The agency reported a depth of 67.5 km (42 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.6 at a depth of 68 km. No tsunami warning was issued.
Epicenter of M6.6 earthquake in Yilan, Taiwan on December 27, 2025. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 31 km (19 miles) ESE of Yilan (population 94 188), 59 km (37 miles) SE of Xizhi (population 204 619), 61 km (38 miles) SSE of Keelung (population 397 515), 66 km (41 miles) SE of Neihu (population 271 594), and 158 km (98 miles) ENE of Zhongxing New Village (population 25 549), Taiwan.
According to USGS PAGER data, about 394 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 5 300 000 moderate, 13 650 000 light, and 545 000 weak.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are heavy wood frame and reinforced/confined masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
Little or no landsliding is expected, but some landslides could have occurred in highly susceptible areas. Liquefaction is also not expected, though localized cases may have occurred. The number of people living near areas that could have produced these effects is low.
This is the second M6+ earthquake to hit Taiwan since December 24, when a strong and shallow M6.0 earthquake struck near Yujing at 09:47 UTC (17:47 local time), at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). That event produced strong shaking felt across southern Taiwan, but caused no significant damage or tsunami threat.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.6 earthquake near Yilan, Taiwan – USGS – December 27, 2025
2 M6.6 earthquake near Yilan, Taiwan – EMSC – December 27, 2025
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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