7.0 earthquake hits northern Argentina

[January 01, 2011]  BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- A magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck a rural area of northern Argentina Saturday morning, but its epicenter was so deep that it gave only a light shake to towns nearby.

The U.S. Geological Survey said Saturday that the quake, initially registered at 6.9, hit at 6:56 a.m. about 150 kilometers (115 miles) northeast of Santiago del Estero at a depth of 563 kilometers (350 miles).

It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries or damage, but the earthquake was hardly felt in Santiago del Estero, the provincial capital, where Emilio Abdala, a receptionist at the 14-story Hotel Casino Carlos V, told The Associated Press that nobody felt a thing.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.