Thursday January 25, 2007

Strong earthquake strikes off Taiwan's east coast

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - A strong earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Taiwan Thursday, rocking buildings in the capital Taipei.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The Central Weather Bureau measured the quake at 6.2-magnitude.

It put its epicenter 62 kilometers (39 miles) southeast of the city of Chengkung, or about 130 kilometers (82 miles) southeast of Taipei.

Quakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage.

However, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan in September 1999 killed more than 2,300 people, and last month a 6.7 offshore tremor south of the city of Kaohsiung severed two undersea cables and disrupted telephone and Internet service to millions of users throughout Asia.-AP