The quake struck at 2:49 pm (0649 GMT), 152 kilometres (94 miles) east-southeast of Taipei, with a depth of 73.3 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.

Taiwan's Seismology Centre put the quake's magnitude at 5.6.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes.

A 5.9-magnitude quake in February sent people rushing onto the streets of the island's second-largest city of Kaohsiung and led to a temporary suspension of rail services. No major damage was reported.

In September 1999, a 7.6-magnitude tremor killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's recent history.