Taiwan is rattled by powerful 5.5-magnitude earthquake days after another huge tremor left 17 dead

Taiwan's capital was rattled by a 'strong' 5.5-magnitude earthquake, just days after another huge tremor left 17 dead.  

The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said the powerful quake originated in eastern Hualien early Monday evening.

The region was the epicentre of a magnitude-7.4 quake that hit on April 3, causing landslides around the mountainous region that blocked off roads, while buildings in the main Hualien city were badly damaged.

At least 17 were killed in the quake, with the latest body discovered on April 13 in a quarry.

Monday's quake hit Taiwan at around 5:08pm local time and could be felt in the capital Taipei.

US Geological Survey put it at 5.3 magnitude, with a depth of 8.9 kilometres.

'It felt like one of the strongest quakes or aftershocks since the big one earlier this month,' said an AFP reporter from Taiwan.

Hualien's fire department said in a short post on its official social media channel that they had dispatched teams to inspect of any disaster from the quake.

'We will continue to monitor the situation and report in a timely manner.'

Four earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.1 to 5.3 have recorded off the coast of Hualien County since midnight Sunday, according to the CWA.

Taiwan sees frequent quakes as it is located at the junction of two tectonic plates.

The April 3 quake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, which caused rockfalls around Hualien.

It was the most serious in Taiwan since 1999, when a magnitude-7.6 hit the island.

The death toll then was far higher - with 2,400 people killed in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's history.

Stricter building regulations - including enhanced seismic requirements in its building codes - and widespread public disaster awareness appeared to have staved off a more serious catastrophe in April's major quake.

Images of the horror quake showed roads completely wiped out by landslides, with boulders smashing the tarmac to bits.

Large-scale rescue efforts were carried out as workers rushed to free dozens of people who were trapped under the rubble of their homes. 

In shocking footage, morning news broadcasts were seen being interrupted by the brutal tremor, with a clip from one newsroom's cameras showing studio lights swinging from the ceiling while a newsreader was almost knocked over as the floor trembled beneath her feet. 

Around 80 people were trapped in motorway tunnels around Hualien - where today's tremor hit - and up to 70 workers were trapped in a pair of mines in the same area, Taiwanese authorities confirmed at the time.

Dramatic images were shown on local TV of multi-storey structures in Hualien and elsewhere tilting after it ended, while a warehouse in New Taipei City crumbled.

The mayor there said more than 50 survivors had been successfully plucked from the ruins of the structure.

'I wanted to run out, but I wasn't dressed. That was so strong,' said Kelvin Hwang, a guest at a hotel in the capital, Taipei, who sought shelter in the lift lobby on the ninth floor.

'Earthquakes are a common occurrence, and I've grown accustomed to them. But today was the first time I was scared to tears by an earthquake,' said Taipei resident Hsien-hsuen Keng.

'I was awakened by the earthquake. I had never felt such intense shaking before.'

She said her fifth-floor apartment shook so hard that 'apart from earthquake drills in elementary school, this was the first time I had experienced such a situation'.