The tilting hotel. 

TAIPEI: A hotel on the east coast of Taiwan has collapsed after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake, the government said.

Citing the national fire agency, Taiwan's cabinet said another hotel had also been damaged.

The government confirmed that a hotel had collapsed after the earthquake.

 

Local media reported a number of buildings had toppled with around 30 people trapped in the collapsed hotel. 

On February 4, a shallow 6.1-magnitude earthquake had hit off the eastern coast of Taiwan. The quake's epicentre was around 15 kilometres (nine miles) north of the port city of Hualien at a depth of around eight kilometres, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) added.

There were no immediate reports of any destruction caused by the tremors. The USGS had said there is "low likelihood of casualties and damage".

"Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist," the organisation had said. 

The 6.1-magnitude earthquake was one of five that struck at a shallow depth in the same area off Taiwan´s eastern coast within two hours of each other on Sunday.

The other four were between 5.2 and 5.5 magnitude, according to the USGS.