Moderate quake rattles Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake shook Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty on Thursday, but there were no reports of casualties or damage, seismologists said.

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake shook Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty on Thursday, but there were no reports of casualties or damage, seismologists said.

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The epicenter was in a remote region of neighbouring Kyrgyzstan some 135 kilometers (85 miles) southeast of Almaty, according to the US Geological Survey, which put its magnitude at 4.9.

The tremor was felt by an AFP correspondent in central Almaty.

The Kazakh state seismological service said there were no reports of casualties or damage.

Although minor earthquakes are common in Central Asia, the most recent major quake to have hit Almaty was in 1911, which measured 10 on the Richter scale and completely destroyed the city.