Earthquake rattles southern Taiwan, no immediate damage reports

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck a largely rural part of southern Taiwan on Tuesday, the island's weather bureau said, with no immediate reports of damage.

The epicentre of the earthquake was Hsingang village in Chiayi county with a depth of 8.5 km (5.3 miles), the weather bureau said.

The quake was not felt in the capital Taipei.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is prone to earthquakes.

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