Two deaths, extensive damage from Taiwan quake

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake shook Taiwan on Tuesday, killing two hotel employees and injuring 144 other people, officials said. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake’s epicenter was 13 miles northeast of Hualien on the island’s east coast. The ground floor of the Marshal Hotel in Hualien district caved in, and people were believed to be trapped inside, according to the Central News Agency. Taiwanese media also said another hotel in the area was tilting. The earthquake followed one over the weekend off the coast of Hualien, which lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” known for seismic activity from Alaska to Southeast Asia.