Earthquake kills four in Algeria

21/03/2006 - 10:21:29
An earthquake rocked a region in north-east Algeria, killing at least four people and injuring 53 others, authorities said today.

The magnitude-5.8 quake hit last night in the Bejaia region, 180 miles east of the capital, according to the Centre for Astronomy, Astrophysics and Geophysics in Algiers.

Four people were killed and 53 injured, and some 30 homes were severely damaged, according to Bejaia police.

The earthquake was felt as far as 60 miles away.

A 6.8-magnitude quake in northern Algeria in 2003 killed nearly 2,300 people, and the region sees frequent small tremors.