Strong quake shakes Taiwan, no damage reported

NATURAL DISASTER/ EARTHQUAKE - TAIPEI. Buildings shook in Taipei on Sunday as an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 struck northeastern Taiwan, but there were no reports of damage.

It had a depth of 66.8 km (41.5 miles), and could be felt across the northern, eastern and western parts of Taiwan, with the epicentre in Yilan county, the weather bureau said.

The Taipei metro was briefly closed for checks, but re-opened shortly afterwards. The state-run power operator said the grid was operating as normal, while the railway administration said it was carrying out track inspections.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) , the world's largest contract chipmaker, said it had evacuated some workers.

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"Personnel at certain TSMC fabs in north Taiwan evacuated during the earthquake as per company procedure, and all safety systems functioned normally," it said in a brief statement.

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.