Magnitude-5.1 earthquake shakes Cyprus; no damage reported

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 shook the small island nation of Cyprus on Wednesday night, the country’s Geological Survey Department said. No damage or injuries were immediately reported.

The tremor struck at 11:04 p.m. and its epicenter was 53 kilometers (33 miles) off the island’s western coast at a depth of 24 kilometers (15 miles).

The quake swayed Cyprus’ western district of Paphos and was also felt across the east Mediterranean island.

The department said the quake is assessed to be an aftershock of the large, magnitude-6.5 temblor that occurred in relatively the same area off Cyprus on Jan. 11. That quake caused no damage, but it shook some people out of their beds in the Paphos District and prompted a few to spend the night in their cars for fear of a recurrence.

[AP]