A magnitude 6.4 earthquake has struck near the coast of Taiwan, killing two hotel employees and injuring more than 200 other people, officials said.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake has struck near the coast of Taiwan, killing two hotel employees and injuring more than 200 other people, officials said.

The Central News Agency reported that the ground floor of the Marshal Hotel in Hualien county had caved in, causing the deaths of the two employees.

Other buildings were shifted on foundations and rescuers used ladders, ropes and cranes to get residents to safety. Taiwanese media reported that a separate hotel known as the Beautiful Life Hotel was tilting.

Emergency services attend the scene after a building collapsed on its side after the earthquake in Hualien County, eastern Taiwan (EBC via AP) The agency also posted photos showing a road fractured in several parts. The US Geological Survey said the quake struck late on Tuesday about 21 kilometres (13 miles) north-east of Hualien, on the island’s east coast.

It occurred at a depth of about 9.5 kilometres (six miles). The earthquake followed one over the weekend off the coast of Hualien, which lies along the famed “Pacific Rim of Fire” known for seismic activity from Alaska to Southeast Asia.

The quake came exactly two years after a magnitude 6.4 quake struck southern Taiwan, causing the collapse of an apartment complex and the deaths of 115 people. Five people involved in the construction of the complex were later found guilty of negligence and given prison sentences.

Earthquakes rattle Taiwan frequently. Most are minor and cause little or no damage. </s> TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck Tuesday near the coast of Taiwan, killing two hotel employees and injuring more than 200 other people, officials said.

The Central News Agency reported that the ground floor of the Marshal Hotel in Hualien county had caved in, causing the deaths of the two employees.

Other buildings were shifted on foundations and rescuers used ladders, ropes and cranes to get residents to safety.

Taiwanese media reported that a separate hotel known as the Beautiful Life Hotel was tilting. The agency also posted photos showing a road fractured in several parts.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck late Tuesday about 21 kilometres (13 miles) northeast of Hualien, on the island's east coast. It occurred at a depth of about 9.5 kilometres (6 miles).

The earthquake followed one over the weekend off the coast of Hualien, which lies along the famed "Pacific Rim of Fire" known for seismic activity from Alaska to Southeast Asia.

The quake came exactly two years after a magnitude-6.4 quake struck southern Taiwan, causing the collapse of an apartment complex and the deaths of 115 people.

Five people involved in the construction of the complex were later found guilty of negligence and given prison sentences.

A magnitude-7.6 quake in central Taiwan killed more than 2,300 people in 1999.

Earthquakes rattle Taiwan frequently. Most are minor and cause little or no damage, </s> Two people have died and dozens of others are trapped in buildings after a series of earthquakes shook a city on the east coast of Taiwan.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says they measured 4.8, 4.6, 6.4 and 5.1 respectively.

They were all east of the city of Hualian.

The country's official Central News Agency says the ground floor of the Marshal Hotel has caved in and people are believed to be trapped inside.

"Two people were unfortunately killed, and 114 have suffered light or severe injuries," Taiwan's premier William Lai told an emergency government meeting.

Local media reported the two people killed were hotel employees.

Four other buildings, including two hotels, also tilted during the earthquakes and the government also confirmed that a military hospital had been damaged during the earthquake.

Rescuers are seen entering a building that collapsed onto its side from an early morning 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan | Image: Tian Jun-hsiung/AP/Press Association Images

The tremor was felt shortly before midnight on Tuesday, forcing the closure of a busy road nearby.

The government said a bridge in the city on Taiwan's eastern coast could not be used, and the structure of an inn had tilted during the earthquake.

The president's office said in a statement following the second earthquake: "The president (Tsai Ing-wen) has asked the cabinet and related ministries to immediately launch the disaster mechanism and to work at the fastest rate on disaster relief work."

It comes just days after thee similar tremors hit the same region.

The Department of Foreign Affairs says it is aware of the earthquake affecting Taiwan.

It says Irish citizens should follow the advice of the local authorities.

Those requiring advice or assistance can contact the department at 00-353-1-408-2527 or 00-353-1-408-2000.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes.

The island's worst tremor in recent decades was a 7.6 magnitude quake in September 1999 which killed around 2,400 people. </s> At least two people were killed and more than 200 were injured in a powerful 6.5-magnitude earthquake that rocked waters near Taiwan's Hualien County on Tuesday. The government said that buildings were crumbled and people were trapped inside due to the quake.

China Earthquake Networks Centre (CENC) said that the epicentre was monitored at 24.13 degrees north latitude and 121.71 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 11 km. The quake, which took place at 11.50 pm, was felt across Taiwan and the highway from Suao to Hualien was temporarily closed.

According to the national fire agency, a hotel and a residential block were the worst hit by the quake in the port city of Hualien. Reports said that three people were trapped in the the Marshal Hotel that was partly crumpled into the ground.

The rescue workers were seen trying to free people from its upper floors. The officials from the Hualien fire department said that 149 people had been rescued from damaged buildings so far.

Television footage showed the roads strewn with rubble, cracks along highways and damaged buildings tilted at angles. A Reuters video showed large cracks in the road, while police and emergency services tried to help anxious people roaming the streets.

"It's the biggest quake I've experienced in Hualien in more than 10 years," Blue Hsu, a resident told AFP, who said his home shook violently.

When asked about the Marshal Hotel, Hsu said: "The lower floors sunk into the ground and I saw panicked tourists being rescued from the hotel. There is one bulldozer and about 50 rescuers on the scene."

On Wednesday, President Tsai Ing-wen went to the scene of the quake to help direct the rescue operations. "The president has asked the cabinet and related ministries to immediately launch the 'disaster mechanism' and to work at the fastest rate on disaster relief work," the president's office said in a statement.

The streets of Hualien, which is home to about 100,000 people, were buckled due to the force of the massive earthquake. Around 40,000 homes were left without water and around 1,900 had no power.

Amy Chen, a 64-year-old flower arrangement teacher who was at home with her husband when the quake hit, said that she had never experienced an earthquake as large as this one. She told the Central News Agency: "I am terrified."

"The bookshelves in my home toppled and flower vases fell and broke. There are scattered glasses everywhere," she added.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's weather bureau told Asia One that there had been at least 15 aftershocks following the quake. However, this is not new to the island nation as about 100 sensible earthquakes have jolted the area since February 4. The government has also said that aftershocks with a magnitude of at least 5.0 could rock the island in the next two weeks.

In 2016, more than 100 people were killed in an earthquake in southern Taiwan. But, some Taiwanese remain scarred by a strong 7.6-magnitude quake that was jolted the island and killed more than 2,000 people in 1999. </s> A series of earthquakes is rocking Taiwan, leaving two dead and more than 100 injured, according to the Associated Press, which cites Taiwan's Premier William Lai.

The temblors started late Tuesday night, toppling buildings, destroying one bridge, and buckling paved streets along the island's eastern coast. The quakes continue to jolt the area near Hualien County through early Wednesday morning.

Four buildings have collapsed and one bridge has been damaged, Taiwan's National Fire Agency told ABC News.

The largest quake so far was reported at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday night local time, registering at 6.4 magnitude by the United States Geological Survey.

The Central Weather Bureau, which tracks seismic activity in Taiwan, reported the epicenter of the earthquake was at sea about 18.3 kilometers north of Hualien City.

The Central News Agency reported that the ground floor of the Marshal Hotel, a building in Hualien district, had caved in and people were believed to be trapped inside. According to ABC, "there were over 100 guests in the hotel at the time of the quake, and at least three people remain trapped, the department said. Firefighters are continuing to deal with gas leaks and fires as a result of the quake."

And, the AP says, Taiwanese media reported that a separate hotel known as the Beautiful Life Hotel is tilting.

Compilation footage posted to Twitter by the China Global Television Network shows a building tilting on its side over a line of cars parked along the street. People can be seen running down the street, carrying ladders to climb over the rubble and reach people still inside the collapsed building. Another clip shows the damage caused inside a store. A handful of employees race out of frame as merchandise is shaken off the shelves and onto the ground.

Don Blakeman, a geophysicist at the National Earthquake Information Center, says the temblors have continued into the early morning hours on Wednesday. There have been three aftershock quakes over 5.0 so far. And, he added, these are just the latest in a series of quakes that began last week.

The AP reported the 6.4 temblor followed one over the weekend off the coast of Hualien, which lies along the famed "Pacific Rim of Fire" known for seismic activity from Alaska to Southeast Asia.

This is a developing story. Some facts reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops. </s> At least two people have died and more than 200 injured after an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 on the Richter scale struck Taiwan on Tuesday night, Reuters reported.

The earthquake hit around 21 km northeast of Hualien city, according to the United States Geological Survey. Several aftershocks hit the area but there were no signs of a tsunami warning. The earthquake was strong enough to be felt in cities a significant distance away, include Capital city Taipei.

Many buildings collapsed or were damaged in the earthquake. Two bridges and some roads were also closed after the earthquake.

Officials said that up to 16 people were trapped in a residential building in Huaelin and 214 people were injured. But Taiwan media reported that more than 150 people are still trapped in buildings.

“The president has asked the Cabinet and related ministries to immediately launch the “disaster mechanism” and to work at the fastest rate on disaster relief work,” Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s office said. Premier William Lai said the government was repairing a major road that was damaged by the earthquake.

Taiwan lies near where two tectonic plates meet and is hit by earthquakes often. Tuesday night’s earthquake comes after five shallow quakes struck off the east coast of the island nation on Sunday within hours of each other. </s> A magnitude-6.4 earthquake rocked Taiwan on Tuesday, killing at least two people, injuring more than 100, toppling buildings and damaging roads, authorities said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered 13 miles north-northeast of Hualien, a city of more than 100,000 on Taiwan's east coast. Photos and videos posted on social media show toppled and leaning high-rise buildings and badly damaged roads.

Multiple, strong aftershocks rattled the area, keeping residents and emergency officials on edge.

Taiwan's CTI -TV reported at least five buildings collapsed in the city. The high-rise Marshal Hotel caved-in, and 116 people were evacuated from the 11-story building after the bottom three floors were crushed, firefighters told Taiwan's state-owned Central News Agency.

The Hualien Shangxiao Road Community Apartment suffered severe damage and was tilted 45 degrees, the first and second floors almost completely crushed, Taiwan News reported. Rescue workers estimated the building contained more than 80 households.

Landslides triggered by the quake closed some vital highways.

Military spokesman Chen Chung-chi told CNA that 88 military members had been dispatched to aid the rescue missions, with 250 more expected to be sent soon.

The quake, at a depth of less than six miles, came two days after another strong temblor struck off Taiwan's east coast. The earthquake could be felt across Taiwan, CNA reported.

Earthquakes are a fairly common occurrence in Taiwan, which sits on the boundary of two tectonic plates — the Philippine Sea Plate to the East and the Eurasian Plate. </s> A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Taiwan just before midnight Tuesday local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The quake was centered in East China Sea about 21 kilometers north-northeast of Hualien City. Light shaking was felt in the capital of Taipei, about 120 kilometers north of Hualien City, according to reports sent to the USGS.

The USGS estimates a low likelihood of causalities and damage. There is no tsunami warning at this time.

A 5.1 aftershock also hit Hualien City shortly after the larger earthquake, according to USGS. There have been several other strong quakes in the area in the last few days.

Cellphone video from Hualien City shows a large building leaning at a dangerously sharp angle as sirens are heard in the background. The video shows people gathering near the building and shining flashlights on windows.

Laura Lo, a worker at the 7-Eleven convenience store across the street from the Marshal Hotel, told CNN that the first and second floors of the hotel appeared to be severely damaged.

Her store also suffered broken glass from the quake, she said. Lo said she can see police officers conducting rescue operations at the Marshal Hotel and that the roads in the area are closed.

An employee at the Park City Hotel down the street told CNN that he felt the quake but there is no damage at his location.

Margaret K. Lewis, a Seton Hall University Law School professor currently living in Taipei, said she felt prolonged swaying at her modern high-rise apartment building in Beitou District, in the northern part of the city.

“Nothing broken, and two children slept peacefully through the event. We have since felt a few mild aftershocks,” Lewis said in an email. “Nerves are jangled, but otherwise all appears well. I have not been outside to look for damage, but my expectation is that my area is generally fine.” </s> TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A strong and shallow earthquake struck off Taiwan’s east coast on Sunday night, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-6.1 quake’s epicenter was 14 kilometers (9 miles) northeast of the city of Hualien, at a depth of just 7.8 kilometers (4.9 miles). Shallow quakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones.

Taiwan’s Central News Agency said the island’s earthquake monitoring agency registered seven tremors around that time, with the strongest recorded at a magnitude of 5.8 and a depth of 16 kilometers (10 miles).

Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage. However, a magnitude-7.6 quake in central Taiwan in 1999 killed more than 2,300 people. In 2016, a shallow earthquake in southern Taiwan killed at least two dozen people.
Multiple earthquakes, including a magnitude 6.4 earthquake, strike near Hualien City, Taiwan. At least 9 people are killed and over 250 are injured, with extensive damage to many structures in the city.