Beijing- An earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale hit an area of the East China Sea between mainland China and Taiwan Friday morning, the state seismological bureau said. The epicentre of the quake, which was the strongest in a series of four tremors, was about 450 kilometres from the coast of China and 350 kilometres from the island.
The first earthquake struck at 8:31 am (0031 GMT) with a magnitude of 6.3, followed within two hours by earthquakes measuring 5.6, 6.5 and 6, the bureau said.
No casualties were reported, and the earthquakes were not expected to cause any tsunamis.
"The chances of a tsunami are very slim," the government's Xinhua News Agency quoted government seismologist Zhang Yongxian as saying.
"Parts of Taiwan might be influenced by the tremors, but any damage is unlikely," Zhang said.
