The tremor hit at 11:24 am (0824 GMT) with an epicenter 75.7 kilometersmiles) southeast of the eastern costal town of Hualien, four kilometers below sea level, Seismology Center director Kuo Kai-wen said.

The quake was felt all over the island, he said, but said buildings should withstand the quake since its destructive force had been reduced in the sea.

It was the fourth earthquake measuring 6.0 and above since June last year, Kuo said. Taiwan, lying near the junction of two tectonic plates, is prone to earthquakes.

One measuring 6.6 shook Taiwan on December 10 last year but caused only minor injuries and damage in some southern cities.

The island suffered its worst quake in a century on September 21, 1999, when one measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck central Taiwan leaving 2,400 people dead.

TERRA.WIRE