A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit just off the coast of Taiwan at 2:05 a.m. Tuesday morning, east of the coastal city of Hua-lien, the China National Seismological Network reported.

The epicenter was only 6 kilometers deep, 60 kilometers from Hua-lien and 120 kilometers from Taipei, it said. A Xinhua correspondent in Taipei said strong tremor could be felt at around 2:11 a.m. there.

Reports from the island said buildings swayed in most parts of the island and people could be shaken from bed. But there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, nor alert of immediate tsunami.

A second tremor struck at 4:28 am with a magnitude of 5.0 in the same location, the Seismological Network reported.

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2009)