6.7-magnitude quake hits Taiwan's Hualien

Residents run out of their apartment in a community in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, Oct. 31, 2013. A 6.7-magnitude earthquake jolted Taiwan's Hualien at 8:02 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING/TAIPEI - A 6.7-magnitude earthquake jolted Taiwan's Hualien at 8:02 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The epicenter, with a depth of 20 km, was at 23.5 degrees north latitude and 121.4 degrees east longitude, the center said in a statement.

Taiwan's meteorological authorities put the quake at 6.3 magnitude and monitored the epicenter with a depth of 19.5 km, adding that there have so far been no reports of casualties or damage.

Two Xinhua reporters who are in south Taiwan said the tremor was "strong."

The island's meteorological authorities reported seven aftershocks measuring between 3 to 4 magnitude in Hualien following the first quake.

A woman was hit on the head by falling materials in a supermarket in Hualien and was sent to hospital.

Railway services in Taiwan were suspended for several minutes and later resumed, but are running at a slower speed.

A contingent headquarters has been set up in the eastern part of Taiwan to deal with possible emergency situations.

A piece from the ceiling of Taoyuan Airport fell during the quake, causing some panic but no casualties.

The tremors were also felt in parts of Fujian Province on the Chinese mainland.

"I felt the whole building shaking and ran out in my pajamas," said a resident surnamed Su in Xiamen City of Fujian Province.

Residents in the cities of Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and Putian in the province also reported feeling the quake.