Moderate earthquake hits Romania, no injuries, no damage

BUCHAREST, Romania – Authorities say an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale has hit Romania, reverberating through the capital and central Romania. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The National Earth Physics Institute said the temblor struck at 1:20 a.m. (1120 GMT) Wednesday. Residents reported that doors rattled and hanging lampshades swung.

The quake had a depth of slightly less than 100 kilometres (62 miles)) and its epicenter was in Vrancea, eastern Romania, a seismic zone.

Mircea Radulian, the institute’s scientific director, told national news agency Agerpres that it was a “typical” earthquake for the area and he did not expect significant aftershocks.