Taiwan earthquake causes buildings to sway

A powerful earthquake that rocked Taiwan today shook office buildings in the capital, Taipei, and caused a shutdown of the subway.

But officials said there were no reports of major damage or injuries.

The earthquake, measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, was centered in the ocean, about six miles northeast of the fishing town of Suao in northeast Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau said.

The tremor struck around 4.46 a.m. Irish time and sent skyscrapers in Taipei swaying for about one minute.

Local CTStelevision showed pictures of office workers in a town south of Taipei calmly evacuating their building.