Moderate Earthquake Rattles Honduras; No Injuries Reported

Saturday, September 15th 2007, 10:34 pm

By: News On 6

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) _ A moderate earthquake rattled Honduras on Saturday, sending panicked residents into the streets. There were no immediate reports of injuries but some buildings were damaged, authorities said.

The quake, which had a preliminary magnitude of 5.5, struck just before noon and was centered about 50 miles north of the capital of Tegucigalpa, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

``The movement was felt in almost all of the national territory,'' said Carlos Gonzalez, a regional director with Honduras' disaster agency.

Gonzalez said it was felt the strongest in the town of Luquique, where alarmed residents ran outside. He said there were reports of damaged houses and churches, and firefighters were sent to assess the damage.