Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau says a moderate 5.6-magnitude earthquake has struck off the eastern coast of the island. There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
The bureau says the earthquake struck at 2:09 p.m. (0609 GMT) Tuesday. It says the tremor was centered 19 kilometers east of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan, some 135 kilometers southeast of the capital.
Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan but most are minor and cause little or no damage. However, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan in 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.