5.4-magnitude quake hits Taiwan—USGS

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Taipei—A moderate earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 struck off eastern Taiwan early Monday, US seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued.

The tremor struck at 5:43 am (2143 GMT Sunday) 73 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of Su-ao at a depth of 25 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said. It was 135 kilometers southeast of Taipei.

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

A 5.9-magnitude quake in February sent panicked people fleeing onto the streets of the island’s second-largest city of Kaohsiung and led to a temporary suspension of rail services, but no major damage was reported.

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