Earthquake measuring 5.5 strikes northern Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) - A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck northern Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, causing cracks in buildings but no casualties, the state Seismology Institute said.

The quake, which occurred at about 2 a.m., was centered in the border area between the Naryn and Issyk-Kul regions, about 160 kilometers (99 miles) southeast of the capital Bishkek, said Alla Fortuna, an expert at the Institute.

Fortuna said the quake caused cracks in houses in the village of Kochkor, which was 30 kilometers (18 miles) away from the epicenter, but no casualties were reported.

In Bishkek, tremors measured around 4 on the Richter scale, Fortuna said.

The U.S. National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado, said the quake registered 5.8 on the Richter scale and occurred at a depth of 6 miles (9.7 kilometers).

Tremors of a 3.5 magnitude were also felt Kazakhstan's commercial capital Almaty, about 300 (186 miles) kilometers northeast of Bishkek, city officials said.-AP

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