5.4-magnitude quake rocks Taiwan

TAIPEI - A 5.4-magnitude earthquake jolted the east of Taiwan Wednesday afternoon and shook buildings in the capital Taipei, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake struck at 12:48 pm (0448 GMT) northeast of Hualien, a coastal city in the east, Taiwan's Seismology Center said.

It was 22 kilometres (13.7 miles) deep and an earthquake report showed that it was felt islandwide, including in Taipei which lies 120 km to the north.

It came after a 5.5-magnitude undersea quake struck the north of Taiwan Wednesday last week with no damage reported.

The island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes.

A strong 6.3-magnitude quake which hit central Taiwan in June last year killed four people and caused widespread landslides.

A 7.6-magnitude quake struck the island in September 1999 and killed around 2,400 people.