The magnitude-5.7 quake hit at around 8:55 a.m. (0055 GMT) and was centered about 15 kilometers (9 miles) southwest of the eastern coastal city of Taidung, the Central Weather Bureau said.

Taidung is about 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of the capital, Taipei.

Quakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage.

However, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan in September 1999 killed more than 2,300 people, and in December 2006 a 6.7-magnitude offshore tremor south of the city of Kaohsiung severed two undersea cables and disrupted telephone and Internet service to millions of users throughout Asia.

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