The earthquake occurred at a depth of 15.5 km. The epicenter was about 25 km southeast of Hualien in eastern Taiwan, the CWA said. It was followed by several strong repeated blows.
Some buildings in Hualien were badly damaged by strong aftershocks, local media reported.
An earthquake off the coast of Taiwan has killed at least seven people and injured more than 700, according to official figures. In addition, many buildings were damaged, some of them badly. In total, the authority reported more than 900 different accidents at noon (local time).
Earthquakes are not rare in Taiwan, as more than 23 million the populous country is located on the boundary of two tectonic plates. Several large islands with more than 23 million population, public rail transport and high-speed train traffic were suspended in cities.
A small tsunami hit the nearby Japanese islands of Jonaguni, Ishikaki and Miyako in Okinawa Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
In September 1999, the island of Taiwan, located on the border between the Eurasian plate and the Philippine plate, was struck by a 7.3-magnitude earthquake, killing more than 2,400 people.
China has offered to help Taiwan after a strong earthquake hit the island on Wednesday. China is monitoring the situation and is ready to provide assistance to eliminate the consequences of the disaster. Taiwan has been governed by an independent government since 1949, but China considers this democratic self-rule as its territory.
Tags: Taiwan rocked strongest earthquake years
