Strong earthquake hits Kyrgyzstan, no injuries reported

A strong earthquake has hit southern Kyrgyzstan, but emergency officials say there are no immediate reports of any damage or injuries in the remote corner of the Central Asian nation, AP reported.

The emergency situations ministry says the earthquake that struck at 5:17 p.m. (1117 GMT) on Sunday had a magnitude of 6.7 at its center and registered a magnitude of 4 in Osh, the nearest city. The U.S. Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude of 6.3.

An earthquake with a magnitude over 6 is capable of causing severe damage.

The U.S. agency said the epicenter of the quake was 122 kilometers (75 miles) south of Osh and 27 kilometers (16 miles) south of Sary-Tash, a small town on the south side of the Alay Mountains, just north of Tajikistan.

/By Trend/