A magnitude 5.8 earthquake, quickly followed by another 6.2, struck eastern Taiwan on Sunday, the island’s weather bureau said, with no reports of damage.
The first earthquake, which shook buildings in the capital Taipei, was 15 km (nine miles) deep with its epicenter in Hualien County, on the east coast of Taiwan, with a sparse and mountainous population, the office said.
The second quake, three minutes after the first, was 14 km deep, also with its epicenter in Hualien, he said, adding that there may be aftershocks.
Taiwanese media said hotel guests in Hualien City rushed to the streets after the quakes. Hualien is a popular tourist destination.
The Ministry of Transport said that operations on the island’s high-speed rail line, which runs on the west coast of Taiwan, were not affected.
The Taipei government has said the subway system is operating normally after trains were briefly ordered to slow down.
Firefighters said they had not received any reports of damage.
Taiwan is located at the junction of two tectonic plates in the South China Sea and is prone to earthquakes.
More than 100 people were killed in an earthquake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a magnitude 7.3 earthquake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.
Our standards: Thomson Reuters’ principles of trust.