Strong 6.1 magnitude Earthquake Strikes Taiwan, Kills 1, Injures 19

An earthquake killed one person and injured at least 86 others in Taiwan on Wednesday and officials say it occurred on a "blind fault" which could produce a far stronger earthquake in the future.

The Central Weather Bureau said the magnitude-6.1 earthquake was felt throughout the island. Buildings swayed in the capital, Taipei, and sections of the high-speed rail line were suspended from service to be inspected for damage. The U.S. Geological Survey placed the magnitude at 6.0, it said on its website, and the depth of the earthquake was a moderately shallow at 9 miles (15 kilometers).

A 72-year-old woman died and two fires were reported, the National Fire Administration said in a statement, adding that 19 other people across central Taiwan were injured, mostly by falling objects.

TSMC, the world's largest custom manufacturer of chips, automatically evacuated one plant in Hsinchu, where it is based, and another in Taichung in central Taiwan, spokesman Michael Kramer said. Workers returned to work soon after and operations are not expected to be affected, he said.

Taiwan's high speed rail and railway had temporarily suspended trains for safety reasons, reportedly affecting more than 30,000 passengers while the metro system in the capital Taipei was also briefly halted.

Taiwan is situated near the intersection of two tectonic plates which is frequently hit by earthquakes.

The last major quake-a magnitude 7.6 temblor that killed more than 2,000 people-struck in 1999 and was also centered in Nantou County.