A powerful magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook buildings in Taiwan, injuring at least 15 residents.

CCTV footage from inside a family's home shows pet cats starting to panic as they felt the ground tremble in Chiayi County on January 21 shortly after midnight.

The moggies frantically dashed out of the room as the violent vibrations continued.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit 12:17 am local time, with the epicentre 12km north of Yujing.

Taiwan's fire department said 15 people were sent to the hospital, including one child whose family was among those rescued from a collapsed house in Tainan.

Last year, a magnitude 7.4 quake, the strongest in 25 years, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, hit the mountainous coast of Hualien, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than a thousand.

Taiwan is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active zone surrounding the edges of the Pacific Ocean basin. This area is characterised by frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity due to the movement of tectonic plates.