An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 on Richter scale struck off the east coast of Taiwan early on Sunday (May 11, 2008) morning. However there are no reports of any  casualties suffered. The news of the earthquake striking off the Taiwan coast was given by the US Geological Survey (USGS).

 

The USGS said that the earthquake hit the Taiwan coast at 3:41 am (0111 IST) and its epicenter was 99 kilometers of the southeast of Suao. The earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers.

 

The island of Taiwan lies in a complex tectonic area between the Eurasian plate and the Philippine plate. The major seismic faults in Taiwan have caused major earthquakes in the country. In 1999 a major earthquake of magnitude 7.3, known as 'Chi-Chi' occurred which caused massive casualties.