Moderate quake hits eastern Taiwan

TAIPEI, Apr 28: An earthquake measuring 5.6 rattled eastern Taiwan today, shaking office buildings in the capital, officials said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The epicentre of the moderate quake, which struck at 5.05 p.m.

(1435 hrs IST) was about 7 km northeast of Hualien on the eastern coast, at a depth of 6 km, 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, it killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings.

REUTERS