The quake struck at a depth of about 31km off the east coast, 71km south of Hualien city, the USGS said.

The Taitung fire department told AFP there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

“When the earthquake struck, the computer screen and fan shook heavily,” said a firefighter in the coastal town of Chenggong.

“It was much stronger than previous quakes. I immediately thought about running outside,” he told AFP.

Taiwan is frequently hit by earthquakes due to its location on the edges of two tectonic plates near the Pacific Ring of Fire, which the USGS says is the most seismically active zone in the world.

The last major earthquake occurred in April 2024 when the island was hit by a deadly 7.4-magnitude tremor that officials said was the strongest in 25 years.

At least 17 people were killed in that quake, which triggered landslides and severely damaged buildings around Hualien.