Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake Strikes Cyprus, No Casualties Reported

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 71 km (44 miles) northwest of Limassol in Cyprus today, according to the US Geological Survey, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake was mainly felt in the western Paphos region but also in the capital Nicosia.

Cyprus state radio reported the tremor was a magnitude 5.3, at a shallow depth of 3 km west of Kissonerga, a village in Paphos popular with European and British retirees.

"The chair I was sitting on started moving and my sister came running down the stairs to tell me the wardrobes and doors were rattling," said Sarah Ktisti, a journalist living in the region.

Cyprus lies in an earthquake zone but large tremors are infrequent. The highest recorded in recent years was a 6.3 earthquake in 1996 which caused some damage, but no casualties.