Buildings shake as deep quake hits Taiwan, but no damage reported

[January 09, 2021]    TAIPEI (Reuters) - Buildings shook briefly in Taipei on Saturday as a deep, 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Taiwan, but there were no reports of damage.

The quake's epicentre was just off the coast of Yilan county, at a depth of 72.2 km (44.9 miles), according to the island's Central Weather Bureau.

Taipei's subway system was operating as normal, the city government said.

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.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Jan Harvey)

[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.