Watan-Dutch seismologist Frank Hoogerbeets has stirred up a wide debate once again after his predictions regarding a strong earthquake hitting Taiwan came true.
It all started with Hoogerbeets reposting an image of the research center he heads, “SSGEOS,” which included an update on seismic activity related to planetary and lunar geometry.
Taiwan earthquake
This update pointed out a concentrated cluster of strong tremors in the Taiwan region after the convergence of three planetary alignments on April 21.
Hoogerbeets commented on the image on his “X” platform page, saying, “A clear cluster of strong quakes (M ≥ 5.6) coinciding with planetary geometry (purple/red peaks) in the forecast period.”
He added, “High lunar peak could result in a strong quake on 27/28 April in Taiwan. New video will be posted later today.”
Multiple strong earthquakes struck Taiwan overnight, starting with a magnitude 6.1 tremor just after 2 a.m. off Hualien on the east coast. It was followed by a 5.8 magnitude quake around half an hour later. pic.twitter.com/NPI5nMdks8
— TaiwanPlus News (@taiwanplusnews) April 27, 2024
Indeed, at least 10 tremors hit Taiwan in the early hours of Saturday local time, with the strongest registering 6.1 magnitude, according to the Central Weather Bureau.
The most powerful quake, measuring 6.1 magnitude, struck at 2:21 AM local time on Friday/Saturday off the coast, at a depth of 24.9 kilometers.
It was followed by several smaller aftershocks before another strong quake hit at 2:49 AM local time, occurring inland about 40 kilometers from the eastern coastal city of Hualien, at a depth of 18.9 kilometers.
Additionally, after midnight on Friday/Saturday, 10 tremors of varying magnitudes were recorded on the island, according to the Central Weather Bureau.