Taiwan rattled by quakes, no immediate reports of damage

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake quickly followed by another at 6.2 struck eastern Taiwan on Sunday, with no immediate reports of damage.

The first quake, which shook buildings in the capital Taipei, had a depth of 15 km (9.3 miles) with its epicentre in Hualien county on Taiwan's eastern coast, the island's weather bureau said.

The second quake, three minutes after the first one, had a depth of 14 km, also with its epicentre in Hualien, it added.

The transport ministry said operations on the island's high speed rail line, which runs on Taiwan's western coast, were unaffected, while the fire department said it had not received any reports of damage.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates in the South China Sea 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.