TAIPEI - AN EARTHQUAKE earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale shook Taiwan on Monday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, officials said.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 5.18 am local time (5.18am Singapore time), was 59 km east of Hualien on the east coast, at a depth of 12 km, the Central Weather Bureau said in a statement.

Earthquakes occur frequently in Taiwan, which lies on a seismically active stretch of the Pacific basin.

One of Taiwan's worst-recorded quakes occurred in September 1999. Measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, it killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings. -- REUTERS