A shallow 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit off the eastern coast of Taiwan late Sunday, the United States Geological Survey said.

The quake's epicentre was around 15 kilometres (nine miles) north of the port city of Hualien at a depth of around eight kilometres, the USGS added.

There were no immediate reports of any destruction caused by the tremors. The USGS said there is "low likelihood of casualties and damage".

"Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist," the organisation said.

It cautioned, however, that earthquakes in the past have triggered landslides.

The 6.1-magnitude earthquake was one of five that struck at a shallow depth in the same area off Taiwan's eastern coast within two hours of each other on Sunday.

The other four were between 5.2 and 5.5 magnitude, according to the USGS.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being there; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5+ Billed Monthly Option 1 : $5.00 USD - monthly Option 2 : $10.00 USD - monthly Option 3 : $15.00 USD - monthly Option 4 : $20.00 USD - monthly Option 5 : $25.00 USD - monthly Option 6 : $50.00 USD - monthly Option 7 : $100.00 USD - monthly paypal only		SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal

6.1 magnitude quake rattles northern Afghanistan: USGS
Kabul (AFP) Jan 31, 2018
A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, sending people in Kabul rushing into the streets and creating tremors as far away as Islamabad and New Delhi. The quake struck at 0707 GMT near Afghanistan's northern border with Tajikistan in the Hindu Kush mountains at a depth of 191 kilometres (119 miles), the USGS said. Frightened residents ran out of homes and shops in Kabul. The city is already on edge after more than 130 people were k ... read more