4.5 magnitude quake rattles Nicaragua''s Pacific coast

Managua, July 4

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake has rattled cities along Nicaragua's Pacific coast, seismologists said, with no reports of injuries or damage.

The quake struck some 43 kilometers southwest of the capital of Managua at 10 pm (0930 IST) late yesterday, the US Geological Survey reported.

The USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of 85 kilometers.

Nicaragua's national disaster prevention agency SINAPRED activated precautionary measures in the departments of Managua and Leon, where the earthquake was felt most strongly, government spokeswoman and First Lady Rosario Murillo told reporters.

The quake was attributed to movement along the Cocos and Caribbean plates that pass through Central America. —AFP