6.6 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Taiwan

The US Geological Survey says a magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit Taiwan just off its northeast coast late Saturday. The earthquake took place at 11.05 pm local time, 32 kilometres from the coastal town of Yilan. Tremors were felt across the island, including in the capital of Taipei, where buildings shook from the shock. One resident in Yilan County described how a building shook first vertically and then horizontally.“It kept on shaking for a while. Then I ran out, but most people did not run out.

I was scared," he said. The epicentre was 70 kilometres deep, and there were no immediate reports of widespread damage or casualties. Local television showed hanging TVs swaying inside an office building, and spilled cleaning products and broken bottles that had fallen off supermarket shelves. In a social media post, Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te urged residents to be alert for possible aftershocks.