Magnitude 5.0 earthquake strikes off eastern Taiwan

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck off Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 12:37 p.m. Saturday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA).

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The epicenter of the temblor was located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hualien, 40.0 kilometers south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 21.5 km, the agency's Seismology Center said.

The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, was the highest in Hualien, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale.

The quake also measured an intensity of 3 in Taitung County in southeastern Taiwan and Nantou County in the central part of the country, the CWA said.