6.6-magnitude quake hits waters off Taiwan

BEIJING/TAIPEI -- A 6.6-magnitude earthquake jolted waters off Taitung County in Taiwan at 1:41 am Wednesday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The epicenter, with a depth of 20 km, was monitored at 23.45 degrees north latitude and 121.55 degrees east longitude, said the CENC.

According to the meteorological agency of Taiwan, tremors were felt across the island as a series of earthquakes rattled eastern Taiwan on Wednesday morning.

To date, one person in Taitung County was slightly injured, power outages were recorded in several quake-struck areas, and a bridge in Hualien County collapsed, according to local fire authorities in Taiwan.

On Wednesday morning, another 6.1-magnitude quake and five over 5-magnitude earthquakes were also monitored in eastern Taiwan, according to the meteorological agency of Taiwan.

Chen Kuo-chang, with the agency's seismological center, said the 6.6-earthquake was the strongest earthquake recorded in Taiwan this year and the subsequent earthquakes were likely to be the aftershocks.

He said that another aftershocks of magnitude 5.5 or above could not be ruled out.