BEIJING, Mar. 7 -- Seven moderately strong earthquakes jolted Taiwan early yesterday morning, leaving at least two people injured and cutting off power to 24,000 homes.

The seven quakes, measuring 4.2, 5.9, 5.9, 5, 4.6, 4.5, 4.7, struck Su'ao, on Taiwan's northeastern corner, between 3 am and 11 am, the Seismological Observation Centre said.

In Ilan County near the quake's epicentre, one high school student was injured when he jumped from a second-floor window, and an elderly woman was injured when she fell on a staircase.

Another woman had a heart attack and was rushed to hospital.

Thousands of people in Ilan camped out in parks and on school campuses yesterday morning, fearing a strong quake might follow. The quakes temporarily cut off electrical power to 24,000 homes in the county.

In Taipei, buildings shook violently, windows rattled and objects fell from shelves when the strongest two quakes struck. Many Taipei residents ran into the street and remained outside until dawn.

The Seismological Observation Centre said the seismic activity along the northeastern coast is the normal release of tectonic energy, caused by the friction between the Filipino Plate and Eurasian Plate in the Pacific Ocean.

"Moderate quakes can occur in the next two weeks to one month. People need not panic because this is the normal release of seismic energy," Kuo Kai-wen, director of the centre, said.

Taiwan sits on the circum-Pacific seismic belt.

(Source: China Daily)