Strong earthquake hits off the coast of Peru

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 has struck off the coast of northern Peru, the U.S. Geological Survey has said.

The quake struck at 4.49 a.m. local time and was centred 94 km west-southwest of the city of Paita. The USGS said it was at the relatively shallow depth of 16 km.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.