Major earthquake off Taiwan is felt in mainland China, Japan, Philippines

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the eastern coast of Taiwan on Friday at 7.35am local time, according to the China Earthquake Networks Centre. There were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake – the second major earthquake to rock the island in the past year – was monitored at a depth of about 16km (10 miles), with its epicentre in the waters east of Hualien county.

Affected countries included Japan and the Philippines.

The earthquake struck just as Japan ended its first ever “megaquake” advisory on Thursday, a week after a magnitude-7.1 quake hit the country’s southwest.

The alert was lowered after no abnormalities were observed, following an increased likelihood of a magnitude 8 or 9 earthquake as well as major tsunamis along the Nankai Trough, an unstable area on Japan’s southwest Pacific coast.

In Taiwan, the morning commute was affected in Taipei, authorities said. The Songshan-Xindian subway line was temporarily suspended, while the Wenhu line continued to operate, but at half speed.

Taiwan has been battered by frequent earthquakes in recent months. In early April, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Hualien, killing at least 17 and injuring more than 1,000 people. Weeks later, aftershocks at magnitudes of 6.0 and 6.3 struck the island again, causing two empty buildings to collapse.