Taiwan rattled by 5.8 magnitude earthquake, no immediate reports of damage

TAIPEI (Reuters) -A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Taiwan’s east coast on Friday, the island’s weather administration said, with no immediate reports of damage.

The earthquake shook buildings in the capital, Taipei. The quake, off the coast of Hualien county, had a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the weather administration said.

Taiwan has been hit by around 1,400 aftershocks since a 7.2 magnitude quake struck Hualien last month, killing 17 people.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Mark Potter and Jacqueline Wong)

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