Tremors in Taiwan and Daghestan

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 rattled south-central Taiwan on Monday, but authorities reported no injuries or damage. The moderate tremor was centred 11 miles east of Yunlin, the Central Weather Bureau is quoted by the Associated Press as saying. Thousands of small tremors have hit the island since a 7.6-magnitude quake killed about 2,400 people and left thousands homeless in 1999. Located along the earthquake-prone Pacific Rim and crisscrossed by dozens of fault lines, Taiwan is rocked by many earthquakes every year, most of them harmless. A moderate earthquake jolted towns in southern Russia on Sunday, but no property damage or injuries were reported. The magnitude-5.5 temblor struck at about 7 p.m. with an epicentre in the village of Kadar Dorgili in the North-Caucasian Republic of Dagestan, about 1,000 miles south of Moscow, according to the Dagestan Seismology Station. The quake caused chandeliers to sway in the regional capital of Makhachkala, about 75 miles to the north. A magnitude 5 earthquake can cause considerable damage in populated areas, but the impact depends on the geology of the area and how buildings are constructed.