No.3 nuclear power plant unshaken by Taiwan quake: Taipower

All three nuclear power plants remained functional and no damage was recorded.

Taiwan's No. 3 nuclear power plant was not affected by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake that hit southern Taiwan, where the facility is located, according to the country's news agency.

All three nuclear power plants operating in Taiwan remained functional and no damage was recorded in the facilities after the earthquake, Taiwan Power Co. (Taipower) said. The No. 3 nuclear power plant is reportedly the only power plant located in southern Taiwan.

The quake, which was centered about 26.1 km northeast of Pingtung County Hall, struck at a depth of only 15.5 km, according to the Central Weather Bureau (CWB).

The weak-motion seismometer (WMS) of the No. 3 nuclear power plant, which responds to ground motions such as those caused by earthquakes, was not activated by the earthquake.

If the WMS records an intensity of more than 5 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale, the nuclear reactor in the plant will be automatically shut down.

The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in parts of Pingtung County, where it measured 4, according to the weather bureau.