Taiwan rattled by 6 magnitude quake, no immediate damage reported

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Buildings shook briefly in Taipei on Monday as a 6 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan’s eastern coast, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake had a depth of 6.8 km (4.2 miles) with its epicentre in Hualien county, a sparsely populated part of the island, the weather bureau said.

The quake could be felt across Taiwan, it said.

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 Tom Hogue)