A moderate earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale rattled Taiwan earlier on Tuesday, but there was no report of damage or casualties, the Seismological Centre and police said, according to DPA. The tremor, located 15.2 kilometres south-east of the central city of Taichung, struck at 2:48 am (18:48 Monday GMT), sending jittery residents returning home from Christmas Eve's celebration to the streets, they said. The quakes were felt in Taichung and Nantou counties, where a devastating earthquake, measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, killed 2,321 people and injured 6,534 others in 1999, they said. Police said there was no report of damage or casualties, though many residents, mindful of the 1999 earthquake, rushed to open areas for fear of a possible disaster. Earthquakes frequently occur in Taiwan, mainly off Taiwan's east coast, caused by the friction between the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate.
