Moderate quake rattles Taiwan, no reports of damage

TAIPEI, Mar 29: An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale rattled northeast Taiwan today(Mar 29, 2006), but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, officials said.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 3.21 p.m. (0721 GMT) was about 4.7 km (3 miles) west of Ilan on the northeast coast, at a depth of 71 km (44 miles), the Central Weather Bureau said in a statement.

Earthquakes occur frequently in Taiwan, which lies on a seismically active stretch of the Pacific basin.

One of Taiwan's worst-recorded quakes occurred in September 1999.

Measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, it killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings.

REUTERS