A giant yellow duck on display in Taiwan has become a high-profile victim of Thursday's earthquake.

The duck deflated before exploding during an attempt to re-inflate it, according to the country's officials.

The 18-metre-tall duck in northern Taoyuan county began to deflate when an air pump went off during a power outage triggered by the 6.3-magnitude quake on Thursday night.

Organisers have suspended the exhibit of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman's giant bath-toy replica, after powerful winds caused the duck's rear end to burst while it was being re-inflated on Friday morning.

Officials say the damage would be difficult to repair and they are planning to borrow another Hofman-designed duck commissioned by Kaohsiung city government.

AFP