Strong quake strikes Costa Rica: USGS

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck Costa Rica, but there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami, US forecasters said.

The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 6:45 pm on Tuesday (8.45 am Sgp time), was located over land, 140 kms west of the capital San Jose, but only 10 kms from the town of Hojancha, the US Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a bulletin saying "no destructive widespread tsunami threat exists."

But the center warned that quakes of that magnitude "can generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts" located within 100 kilometers of the epicenter.