TAIPEI, Taiwan, March 31 (UPI) -- Taiwan's largest earthquake since 1999 caused at least four deaths and 200 injuries on Sunday but appeared to have spared the island major devastation.
Taiwan's Central Weather bureau said the major quake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, however the United States Geological Survey seismograph in Golden, Colorado pegged the magnitude as high as 7.1.
Rescue crews fanned out across Taipei and the rest of the island to search for more possible victims and check roads, pipelines and other infrastructure for damage.
"The situation is under control," Premier Yu Shyi-kun said in a televised statement. "Please be calm."
The quake was centered along the northeast coast of Taiwan, about 100 kilometers (65 miles) southeast of Taipei where most of the casualties were reported. Estimates had the epicenter some 33 kilometers (20 miles) beneath the surface.
The shaker was the fourth quake worldwide to top 7.0 on the Richter scale this year and the third this month. The largest was a 7.5 event in the Philippines on March 5; Afghanistan was hit by a 7.4 quake on March 3.
Taiwan was battered by a 7.7 magnitude quake on Sept. 20, 1999 that caused nearly 2,300 deaths and left 600,000 people homeless. The damage was estimated at around $14 billion.
Despite numerous reports of damage Sunday, there did not appear to be the same widespread damage that occurred in 1999.
Japan issued a tsunami warning after the quake, but cancelled it a short time later after scientists determined there was no danger of a deadly tidal wave. No warnings have been issued for Hawaii and the west coast of North America.
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(Reported by Hil Anderson in Los Angeles and Chris Sieroty in Washington)
