Strong aftershocks shake Taiwan after deadly quake

Taiwan has been shaken by dozens of earthquakes overnight that left buildings swaying, with the government saying they were aftershocks from a huge deadly quake that hit the island more than two weeks ago.

The strongest, which the US Geological Survey measured at magnitude 6.1, hit around 2:30 am local on Tuesday (1830 GMT) followed minutes later by a 6.0 tremor.

Taipei's Central Weather Administration put them at 6.0 and 6.3, respectively.

Authorities said there were no casualties reported so far, but the non-stop shaking meant a restless night even for those in the capital Taipei about 150 kilometres (90 miles) north, where walls and glass panels rattled in swaying homes.

"I was too scared to move and stayed in bed," said office worker Kevin Lin, 53, in Taipei, who said he was jolted awake by the intense quakes.

Around 8:00 am local (0000 GMT), a 5.8-magnitude tremor shook the capital as commuters made their way to work.

Hualien epicentre

The series of quakes started on Monday around 5:00 pm (0900 GMT), originating from Hualien on the central east coast of Taiwan.

The mountainous county was the epicentre of a magnitude-7.4 quake that hit April 3, which Taiwan said was the "strongest in 25 years", triggering landslides that blocked roads and severely damaged buildings around the main Hualien city.

At least 17 people were killed, with the latest body found in a quarry on April 13.

In Hualien on Tuesday, a hotel building that was previously damaged started tilting at an angle overnight after the quakes, according to footage.

"Please come out for your safety. Let's evacuate first OK? Anyone still inside? Please come down," shouted a firefighter to the residents of nearby buildings.

Quake response

In Taipei, Lin said he had seen news of the hotel in Hualien, which showed how powerful even the aftershocks can be.

"I live in a 40-year-old apartment and it really worries me whether the apartment can withstand so many earthquakes," he said.

He added that while the Taiwanese public are taught what to do when a tremor hits, "it is only useful for a small quake".

"For a big one, it doesn't really matter how much quake response you're taught."