5.4-magnitude quake hits Taiwan

A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan early Friday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.

The quake hit at 5:55 am (2155 GMT Thursday) and was centred 81 kilometres (50 miles) east of the city of Hualian at a depth of 10 kilometres, USGS said.

The tremor comes after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in February left 117 dead when an apartment complex collapsed in the southern city of Tainan.

That quake also raised questions over shoddy construction -- five people have been charged over the deadly building collapse.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes.

A 6.3-magnitude quake that hit central Taiwan in June 2013 killed four people and caused widespread landslides.

The island's worst quake disaster came in September 1999 when a 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed around 2,400 people.