Moderate earthquake hits central America

A moderate earthquake hit the border region of the Central American countries of Panama and Costa Rica before dawn on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, but there were no immediate reports of damage. The magnitude-5.6 earthquake had a shallow depth of 11 kilometers. The epicenter was about 12 kilometers southwest of Guabito, Panama and about 79 kilometers southeast of the Caribbean port of Puerto Limon in Costa Rica, the USGS said. Costa Rica’s National Emergency Commission said no injuries or damages were reported. In Panama, La Prensa (The Press) newspaper quoted the director of the national civil-protection service as saying that no damage or injuries were reported.