Magnitude 6.4 quake hits Taiwan, causing buildings to collapse

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near the coastal city of Hualien in Taiwan late on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, causing buildings including a hotel to collapse and forcing the closure of a nearby highway. The quake struck about 22 kms (14 miles) northeast of Hualien - which is home to about 100,000 people - shortly before midnight, and the epicenter was very shallow at just 1km, the USGS said. There was no immediate confirmation of any deaths or injuries or word of any tsunami warning, but the government confirmed in the early hours of Wednesday that the Marshal Hotel in Hualien had collapsed, trapping three people inside.

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