6.4 magnitude earthquake hits Taiwan, minor damage reported

A strong earthquake rocked much of Taiwan on Saturday, geological officials said, with local television reporting minor injuries and structural damage to some buildings.

The U.S. Geological Survey said on its website (www.usgs.gov/) the quake had a magnitude of 6.4 and was centered just off the island's east coast, 25 km (15 miles) south-southeast of the city of Hualien.

The quake was recorded at 9.02 pm local time (1302 GMT) and was centered 44 km (27 miles) below the earth's surface, Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said.

Early television reports that a building had collapsed near Taipei were not correct, a Taiwanese disaster agency said.

At least four people were hurt during the quake, Taiwanese television reported later. A water tower collapsed and glass shattered in a hotel, it said.

TSMC, the worlds largest contract chipmaker, reported no damage at its Taiwan facilities.

An aftershock of 4.8 on the Richter scale was reported about an hour later in the same area as the initial quake, officials said.

Earthquakes occur frequently in Taiwan, which lies on a seismically active stretch of the Pacific basin.

One of Taiwan's worst-recorded quakes occurred in September 1999. Measuring 7.6 on the old Richter scale, it killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings.