Taiwan shaken by 6.3-magnitude earthquake for 2nd time in 4 months

May 9 (UPI) -- A strong earthquake struck off the coast of Taiwan on Monday and the shaking could be felt in the capital of Taipei, officials said.

The 6.3-magnitude quake hit about 60 miles from Su'ao Township at a depth of 17 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The agency said the shaking was also felt in Japan, the Philippines and China.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Earthquakes are common in Taiwan and throughout the Pacific Rim region due to very active seismic shifts among the plates on the ocean floor. There are many active volcanoes in the region, as well, due to the tectonic activity.

In March, several earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 6.6 to 4.1 shook the Pingtung, Taitung and Hualien regions of Taiwan. They were felt in Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Xiamen in eastern China's Fujian Province.

A quake of about the same strength occurred off Taiwan's coast in January lasted for 30 seconds and also shook offices in Taipei.

Taiwan is situated at a compressive tectonic boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate, where the present convergence rate is about seven centimeters per year in the northwest-southeast direction.