Firefighters were dispatched to check the impact of the moderate quake, which hit 71 kilometres (44 miles) south of Hualien City.

It struck off the island's east coast at a depth of about 31 kilometres, the USGS said.

"When the earthquake struck, the computer screen and fan shook heavily," said a firefighter in the coastal town of Chenggong.

"It was much stronger than previous quakes. I immediately thought about running outside," he told AFP.

The Hualien and Taitung fire departments told AFP there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Evening services along the eastern railway line were running normally after the quake, which the USGS reported hit at 7:00 pm (1100 GMT).

Taitung firefighter Andrew Liu said 25 firefighters, including volunteers, and five vehicles had been dispatched to coastal areas closest to the epicentre to check for damage.

"Because the area is remote and distances between locations are long, it will take more time to reach each site," Liu told AFP.

- Enhancing quake readiness -

The earthquake was "felt throughout Taiwan", said the island's seismological agency, which issued an alert to the public seconds before it struck.

Taiwan is frequently hit by earthquakes due to its location on the edges of two tectonic plates near the Pacific Ring of Fire, which the USGS says is the most seismically active zone in the world.

The last major earthquake occurred in April 2024 when the island was hit by a deadly 7.4-magnitude tremor that officials said was the strongest in 25 years.

At least 17 people were killed in that quake, which triggered landslides and severely damaged buildings around Hualien.

It was the most serious in Taiwan since a 7.6-magnitude tremor struck in 1999.

Some 2,400 people died in that quake, making it the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.

Since then, Taiwan has updated and enhanced its building code to incorporate quake-resistant construction methods, such as steel bars that allow a building to sway more easily when the ground moves.

Famous for its cutting-edge tech firms, Taiwan has built up an advanced early warning system that can alert the public to potentially serious ground shaking within seconds.

The system has been enhanced over the years to incorporate new tools such as smartphones and high-speed data connectivity, even in some of the most remote parts of the island.