(Adds second quake) TAIPEI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Two strong earthquakes rattled Taiwan and southern Japanese islands on Monday but there were no reports of casualties or damage. The epicentre of the first quake, which struck at 8:05 a.m. (0005 GMT), was about 188 km (116 miles) southeast of Hualien on Taiwan's east coast at a depth of 11 km (7 miles), the island's Central Weather Bureau said in a statement. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude at 6.7 after a first estimation of 6.9. Japan withdrew an initial tsunami warning. The second quake, which was centred close to the first at a depth of 20 km and struck at 6:10 p.m. (1010 GMT), measured 6.1, the Central Weather Bureau said. It was also felt in Japan's Ishigaki Island. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) rated the second quake a 2 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 1 to 7, which means that it could be felt by some people in buildings and that hanging objects such as lamps would swing slightly. A warning for a tsunami of around 50 cm (20 inches) was issued after the quake, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. The USGS reported a smaller aftershock about five minutes after the second quake. Earthquakes occur frequently in Taiwan, which lies to the southeast of China on a seismically active stretch of the Pacific basin. Taiwan is recovering from a typhoon that struck on Aug. 8, causing widespread mudslides and flooding. President Ma Ying-jeou has estimated the eventual death toll from the storm at more than 500. One of Taiwan's worst-recorded quakes occurred in September 1999. Measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, it killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings. (Reporting by Ralph Jennings; Additional reporting by Yoko Kubota in Tokyo; Editing by Alex Richardson) (ralph.jennings@thomsonreuters.com; +886 2 2500 4882; Reuters messaging: ralph.jennings.reuters.com@reuters.net) (If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com)
A small house can be seen in front of a coal-burning power station located on the outskirts of Beijing August 17, 2009. China should set firm targets to limit greenhouse gas ...
