Strong earth quake rocks Central America

Guatemala City, June 14: A powerful earthquake rattled Guatemala and El Salvador and forced the evacuation of some buildings but there were no reports of casualties.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.8 and was centered in the Pacific Ocean some 46 miles south of the town of Escuintla.

Buildings in Guatemala City swayed for about 30 seconds and some scared residents ran into the streets, but there was no word of major damage.

''It has not caused any damage, there is no damage reported,'' said Benedicto Giron, a spokesman for Guatemala's emergency services.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a notice of the earthquake but said there was no danger of a tsunami.

''The earthquake was too deep to generate a tsunami hazard,'' said Gerard Fryer, a geophysicist at the center.

''We don't think there is going to be a dangerous Pacific-wide tsunami but we will monitor the situation,'' said David Walsh, an oceanographer with the warning center.

Reuters>