Tremors rattle Cyprus, no reports of damage

An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 rattled Cyprus on Wednesday, in a tremor also felt in parts of Lebanon, with no damage reported.

The tremor was recorded around 11:32 a.m. (0932 GMT) 20 km (12.5 miles) northeast of the western city of Paphos, and at a depth of 15 km, Cyprus' Geological Surveys Department said. Public buildings were briefly evacuated in the Paphos district, state TV reported.

Aftershocks continued, including a tremor which the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre measured at a preliminary 5.3 on Wednesday afternoon. It was felt by people in high rises, including in the capital Nicosia, witnesses said.

Cyprus is in a seismically active region, but earthquakes rarely cause damage. People who wrote on the EMSC site said the tremor was also felt in parts of Lebanon.