Deep earthquake shakes northern, eastern Taiwan

Rescue workers block off the area to search for survivors outside a building which tilted to one side after its foundation collapsed in Hualien after a strong 6.4-magnitude quake rocked eastern Taiwan early on February 7, 2018. The 6.4-magnitude earthquake on the east coast of Taiwan has left two dead and more than 200 injured, the government said on February 7, after buildings crumbled and trapped people inside. / AFP PHOTO / Paul YANG

Rescue workers block off the area to search for survivors outside a building which tilted to one side after its foundation collapsed in Hualien after a strong 6.4-magnitude quake rocked eastern Taiwan early on February 7, 2018. AFP FILE PHOTO

TAIPEI — A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck close to Taiwan’s east coast city of Hualien on Monday, the island’s weather bureau said, with no immediate reports of damage.

The quake briefly shook buildings in the capital, Taipei. It had a depth of 30.2 km (18.8 miles), and could be felt across the northern and eastern parts of Taiwan, the weather bureau added.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates in the South China Sea 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.

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