Strong earthquake hits south Italy

ROME, Oct 26 (Reuters) A strong earthquake measuring about 5.7 rocked southern Italy today and was felt on the mainland and on the island of Sicily, officials said.

The Civil Protection department in Rome said there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the quake, which struck at 4:28 pm 1958 hrsIST.

The quake, which the National Geophysics Institute said was centred deep in the Mediterranean Sea, was felt in the southern mainland regions of Puglia, Calabria and Basilicata as well as by residents in Messina, Palermo and other cities on the island of Sicily.

''The quake was strong and people ran into the streets,'' a Civil Protection spokesman said.

Officials added, however, that any damage would be limited because the epicentre of the quake was very deep in the sea.

The last major earthquake to hit southern Italy was in 1980 when more than 3,000 people died. A quake near Messina, Sicily, killed between 70,000 and 100,000 people in 1908.

REUTERS PB HT2107