BEIJING -- A 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted near Taitung county, Taiwan, at 9:52 am Wednesday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The epicenter was monitored at 22.94 degrees north latitude and 120.87 degrees east longitude, the center said in a statement.

The quake struck at a depth of 12 km, the center said in a statement, revising its preliminary monitoring results issued earlier.

With the epicenter located in mountainous areas about 230 km southwest of Taipei, the earthquake was felt across Taiwan.

Some people rushed out of buildings in Kaohsiung City and Pingtung and Chiayi counties, where the effect of the earthquake was strong. No immediate casualties have been reported.