Taiwan hit by 6.4-magnitude quake
EASTERN Taiwan has just been rocked by its biggest earthquake this year.
The epicentre of the 6.4 magnitude earthquake, which occurred at 9:02pm (0002 AEDT Sunday) was 25km southeast of the eastern city of Hualien, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Buildings were shaking for about 20 seconds as far away as the capital Taipei in the northern part of the island.
The quake was at a depth of 44.6km, the USGS said.
In the city of Hualien a number of minor incidents were reported in the minutes after the quake.
"There were gas leaks and minor fires and people trapped in elevators,'' an official at the Hualien fire department said.
The fire department also said three people had sought medical help after feeling unwell due to the leakage of an unidentified substance.
Local TV reported that a high-speed railway linking Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung had been suspended as a safety precaution.
There were also TV reports of interruptions in the power supply in a northern district of Taipei.
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