Quakes strike off Taiwan; tsunami appears unlikely

Story Highlights

• Quakes off Taiwan measure magnitudes 7.1 and 7.0
• Epicenter of both quakes less than 60 miles from Kaohsiung, Taiwan
• A tsunami is unlikely, a geologist says

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KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan (CNN) -- Two earthquakes struck off the southwest coast of Taiwan on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster that left more than 200,000 dead.

Tuesday's first temblor registered a magnitude 7.1, and the second one, which followed eight minutes later, was a magnitude 7.0.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings of possible tsunami events in Taiwan and the Philippines, but a geologist said a tsunami was unlikely.

No serious injuries were reported. (Watch people in panic run for cover )

Video footage showed collapsed, low-rise buildings as men tried to move chunks of concrete, possibly looking for victims. (Watch emergency workers comb through wreckage )

"There is no threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami," said Rafael Abreu, a geologist with the National Earthquake Information Center in Denver, Colorado.

Both quakes were south-southeast of the port city of Kaohsiung, according to U.S. Geological Survey scientists.

The epicenter for the first quake was 57 miles (91 kilometers) from Kaohsiung; the second was 43 (69 kilometers) miles away. The quakes occurred about 500 miles (825 kilometers) from the Philippines

In Xiamen, China -- which lies opposite Taiwan -- buildings also shook, Reuters quoted residents as saying.

"I felt a very strong shudder and didn't realize it was an earthquake until I saw people running from the building," teacher Luo Yuanling told Reuters.

Whenever there's an earthquake in the region, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center generates automatic alerts, Abreu said, adding that Taiwan has sophisticated sensing equipment and a sound warning network.

On December 26, 2004, a magnitude-9 earthquake triggered tsunamis that swept across the Indian Ocean. (Watch how the region is still trying to recover )

Tuesday's quakes also struck on the third anniversary of the quake that killed tens of thousands in Bam, Iran.

CNN's Marsha Walton contributed to this report.