Quake rattles Taiwan but no reports of damage

TAIPEI, Oct 11 (Reuters) A moderate earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale rattled northeastern Taiwan today, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, officials said.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 11:05 (0305 GMT), was about 7 km east of the city of Yilan on the eastern coast, at a depth of 79 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 on the Richter scale, it killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings.

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