6.4-magnitude quake shakes eastern Taiwan

Taipei, February 6

A shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked eastern Taiwan late today, US geologists said, the latest in a string of quakes to have hit the region in recent days.

The quake hit at 23:50 pm (1550 GMT) around 21 kilometres northeast of the port city Hualien, according to the United States Geological Survey.

There were no immediate reports of damage, and the island's weather bureau recorded the quake as 6.0-magnitude.

On Sunday, another five shallow tremors struck within two hours of each other in the same area off Taiwan's east coast.

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

The island's worst tremor in recent decades was a 7.6- magnitude quake in September 1999 that killed around 2,400 people. - AFP