Powerful quake jolts Panama-Costa Rica border

Panama City, Nov 20 (IANS) A powerful earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale struck the Panama-Costa Rica border region Wednesday, but there were no reports of casulties or serious damages, EFE news agency reported.

According to the Geoscience Institute at Panama University, the quake took place 10 km below ground at around 1:10 a.m., and its epicentre was traced to 220 southeast of San Jose, Costa Rica and 55km southwest of Panama's third largest city David.

A spokesman for Panama's Sinaproc civil defence agency told reporters that his office had received no reports of deaths, injuries or significant damage.

However, officials said seven homes were damaged and one house collapsed in Baru district, in the western Panamanian province of Chiriqui. A school in the banana-growing community of Puerto Armuelles was also damaged.