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6.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Taiwan; no immediate reports of damage

by Reuters

   taipei, taiwan --

   A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck 34 kilometers (21.1 miles) off
   Taiwan's eastern city of Hualien on Friday, the weather administration
   said, with no immediate reports of damage from what was the second
   strong tremor to hit the island in less than a day.

   The quake also shook buildings in the capital, Taipei. Authorities said
   subway services in the city continued at lower speeds.

   "It was close," said Hsieh Yu Wei, a singer who pulled his car over the
   moment he received a government-issued quake warning while driving on a
   Hualien coastal highway.

   The quake had a depth of 9.7 kilometers (6 miles), the weather
   administration said, and followed a 5.7 magnitude earthquake that
   struck off Taiwan's northeastern shore on late Thursday.

   Weather officials have warned of the risk of landslides in mountainous
   areas following days of rain.

   Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to
   earthquakes.

   In April, Hualien was hit by the biggest earthquake to affect Taiwan in
   at least 25 years. Nine people were killed and more than 900 injured.

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