A magnitude 6.0 earthquake has caused minor damage in north-eastern Taiwan as the island braced for the arrival of a severe typhoon.
Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring bureau said the quake struck at 5.28am on Thursday in the Pacific Ocean about 22 miles south east of the city of Yilan.
The epicentre was about 14 miles beneath sea level.
No injuries or deaths have been reported.
Taiwan is on a string of Pacific seismic faults known as the “Rim of Fire” and is frequently rocked by tremors, including a 1999 quake that killed more than 2,300 people.
It is also frequently hit by Pacific typhoons.
The Central Weather Bureau on Thursday issued a warning for residents of Yilan, Taipei and surrounding areas in the north and along the east coast in advance of Typhoon Lekima.
High winds and heavy rain are expected during the day, with the typhoon packing maximum sustained winds of 114mph and gusting up to 141mph. It is forecast to edge towards mainland China on Friday.
