A powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake has toppled buildings in the Taiwanese city of Hualien early this morning.

The tremor struck about 20km off the island's east coast.

Photographs posted on social media showed extensive damage to roads and high‑rise buildings.

The BBC reports that emergency services are working to free people who are trapped in a hotel that has partially collapsed.

The island of Taiwan sits near a junction of two tectonic plates and is regularly hit by earthquakes.

Source: BBC