Strong quakes hit East China Sea, but tsunami unlikely
20/4/2007 15:53
A string of earthquakes, the strongest of which registered 6.5 on the
Richter scale, jolted the East China Sea this 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.
Xinhua
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