Strong earthquake hits Costa Rica

A strong earthquake has struck Costa Rica, the US Geological Survey has said.

It says the magnitude 6.2 tremor was centred some 35km (22 miles) north-west of the capital San Jose at a depth of 28km (17 miles).

Reports say the quake - which hit at 1321 local time (1921 GMT) - cut off electricity in parts of the capital.

Frightened city residents rushed into the streets, but so far there have been no reports of any injuries.

Witnesses say they have not seen such a strong earthquake in 30 years, the AFP news agency reports.

Costa Rica is located on the Pacific Ring, which forms a belt of seismic activity along the edge of the Pacific Ocean.