TAIPEI: A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan Sunday, killing one person and violently shaking a building in the capital Taipei, officials said.

The powerful quake sent people running into the streets and was also felt in Hong Kong, more than 700 kilometres away.

The tremor hit at 1:43 pm centred 32 kilometres (20 miles) east of central Nantou country at a depth of 10 kilometres, Taiwan's Seismology Centre said.

The National Fire Agency said a male mountain climber was killed after being hit by falling rocks on Mount Ali in central Taiwan.

The agency told AFP that four helicopters had been sent to scout the epicentre area as the authorities were waiting for possible further damage information.

Nantou county was the epicentre of a 7.6-magnitude quake in September 21, 1999 that killed around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island's recent history.