TAIPEI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Two earthquakes, measuring 5.5 and 4.6 on the Richter scale, rattled Taiwan before dawn on Thursday, but there were no reports of casualties or damage, officials said.

The epicentre of the stronger quake, which struck at 5:05 a.m. (2105 GMT) was about 27 km (17 miles) east of Ilan on the east coast, at a depth of 65 km, the Central Weather Bureau said in a statement. It was felt in the capital Taipei.

The second quake hit at 6:09 a.m., about five km southeast of Taitung, also on the east coast, at a depth of 26 km, the weather bureau said.

Earthquakes occur frequently in Taiwan, which lies on a seismically active stretch of the Pacific basin.

One of Taiwan's worst-recorded quakes occurred in September 1999. Measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, it killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings.

(Reporting by Ralph Jennings)

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