EARTHQUAKES SHOOK THE WORLD WEDNESDAY February 22, 2001

The Associated Press and Reuters report: “An earthquake rattled Peru's central jungle Wednesday, damaging thatched-hut homes but causing no injuries, authorities said. The magnitude 5.0 quake struck at 10:20 a.m. near the jungle town of San Martin de Pangoa, 175 miles east of the capital, Lima, Peru's Geophysical Institute said. The quake was felt as far away as the central Andean city of Huancayo, more than 60 miles to the west, the official said.
Two earthquakes shook Ecuador's northern coast on Wednesday morning, but no damage or injuries were immediately reported, the Geophysical Institute at Quito's Polytechnic University said. The first quake measured 4.7 on the Richter scale and hit at 6:55 a.m. EST. Its epicenter was some 34 miles northwest of the coastal city of Esmeraldas and was about 17 miles below the earth, the institute said in a statement. A second quake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale was felt at 7:23 a.m. EST, the statement said.

A moderate earthquake shook two Central Provinces at dawn Wednesday, rousing residents from sleep but causing no injuries and only minor damage, officials said. The 5.0-magnitude quake was centered about 12 miles southeast of Catbalogan town in central Samar province.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------