There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The tremor struck at 10:41 am (0241 GMT) from an epicenter two kilometers (1.24 miles) southwest of the coastal Suao city in eastern Ilan County, originating from 72.6 kilometers below the earth crust, according to the Seismology Center.

Taiwan, lying near the junction of two tectonic plates, is prone to earthquakes.

Taiwan suffered its worst quake in a century when a tremor measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck central Nantou on September 21, 1999, killing 2,400 people and leaving some 100,000 homeless.

TERRA.WIRE