Strong earthquake hits Taiwan

A strong earthquake measuring 6.4 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted the sea off the east coast of Hualien, Taiwan at 9:42 a.m. Monday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center said.

The epicenter was monitored at 24.0 degrees north latitude and 122.5 degrees east longitude. The quake hit at a depth of seven kilometers, the center said in a statement, carried by Xinhua news agency.

The island's seismological agency measured the quake at 6.3-magnitude, with a depth of 17.5 km, adding that the epicenter was 76.2 km off Hualien County government.

Tremor was felt in many parts of Taiwan including Taipei, but there has been no immediate reports of casualties.