6.1 magnitude jolt struck coastal city of Hualien, further reports awaited

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck Taiwan's coastal city of Hualien on Thursday, the weather bureau said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. A Reuters witness said the quake shook buildings in the capital, Taipei. It hit at a depth of 18 km (11 miles). No other details were immediately available.

The United States Geological Survey put the magnitude of the quake at 6.4, adding that it struck at a depth of 15 km (9 miles) northwest of Hua-lien. Taiwan, a self-ruled island that China considers its own, lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes. More than 100 people were killed in an earthquake in the island's south in 2016, and a quake of 7.6 magnitudes killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.