Strong quakes hit East China Sea

Source: Xinhuanet | 04-20-2007 14:48

BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A string of earthquakes, the strongest of which registered 6.5 on the Richter scale, jolted the East China Sea on Friday morning, but it is unlikely the tremors will generate a tsunami off the coast of China, said China's Seismological Monitoring Network.

At least four earthquakes occurred in less than two hours this morning, with the first striking at 8:26 a.m. (Beijing Time) with a magnitude of 6.3, the network reported.

The other three, with magnitudes of 5.6, 6.5 and 6.0, occurred at 8:31 a.m., 9:46 a.m. and 10:23 a.m.

The epicenter, at 25.7 degrees north latitude and 125.1 degrees east longitude, was about 350 km to the east of Taipei and about 450 km from the nearest coastline of the Chinese mainland, the network said.

No casualties have been reported.

"The chances of a tsunami are very slim," said Zhang Yongxian, vice director of the network, explaining that the earthquakes all measured below 7.5 on the Richter Scale, a magnitude considered capable of causing a tsunami.

Zhang also said that the continental shelf beneath China's coasts was relatively flat and the sea water was not very deep, two factors that would reduce the risk of a tsunami.

"Parts of Taiwan might be influenced by the tremors, but any damage is unlikely," Zhang said.

Editor:Chen Ge