6.8 Magnitude quake shakes Siberia

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 shook southwestern Siberia on Sunday afternoon, the second to hit the area in two months. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, emergency officials said. Residents of multistory apartment buildings said objects tumbled off of shelves, windows rattled and chandeliers swayed during the quake, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The earthquake hit about 60 miles east of Kyzyl, the capital of the Russian republic of Tuva, which borders Mongolia.

A quake of similar strength hit the same spot in late December. That quake damaged dozens of buildings, including a bridge over the Yenisei River to Mongolia.

Sunday’s quake, which the U.S. Geological Survey said was centered 7.3 miles below the surface, was felt across a broad swath of southeastern Siberia.

“At the moment we have no information about any injuries or destroyed buildings,” said Stanislav Aivazov, an official with the emergency services in Siberia. “Our specialists are inspecting the situation in the region. “

Workers reported feeling the quake at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectic plant, the largest in Russia, located more than 180 miles from the quake’s epicenter.

The temblor also was felt in Krasnoyarsk, a large city about 600 miles away, emergency officials said.