Taiwan rattled by 6.1 magnitude quake, no damage reported

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Buildings shook briefly in Taipei on Monday as a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast, but there were no reports of damage.

The quake had a depth of 27.5 km (17.1 miles) with its epicentre 89.5 km (55.6 miles) off Taiwan’s east coast, roughly halfway between the coast of Hualien county and the southern Japanese island of Yonaguni, the weather bureau said.

The quake could be felt across Taiwan, it added.

The Taiwan Railways Administration said after a short halt for track inspections, rail services resumed less than an hour after the quake hit.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kim Coghill and Toby Chopra)