TAIPEI (AFP) – A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Taiwan’s east coast Wednesday, the island’s Seismology Centre said, but there were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning.
The quake hit at 1:33 am (1733 GMT Tuesday) about 11 kilometres (seven miles) from the city of Hualien at a depth of 19.2 kilometres, and was followed by five aftershocks.
Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes.
In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude quake killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.
