Taiwan rattled by quakes again, no immediate reports of damage

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Two earthquakes, the largest a 6.1 magnitude, struck Taiwan's eastern county of Hualien on Saturday, the island's weather administration said, with no immediate reports of damage.

The quakes, within half an hour of each other in the early hours of the morning, shook buildings in the capital, Taipei.

The first quake had a depth of 24.9 km (15.5 miles) and hit just off Hualien's coast, while the second with a magnitude of 5.8 had a depth of 18.9 km (11.7 miles) and hit a similar location, Taiwan's weather administration said.

Taiwan has been hit by more than 1,000 aftershocks since a 7.2 magnitude quake struck Hualien earlier this month, killing 17 people.

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

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Sandra Maler)