Moderate quake strikes off Taiwan

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Taiwan Sunday, the Seizmology centre said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The quake struck at 0457 GMT about 75 kilometers (45 miles) east of Chengkung, a costal township in the island’s southeast Taitung county. Its epicenter was 10 kilometers under the seabed.

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

In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude tremor killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.

 

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