Earthquake shakes northwest Brazil

STRASBOURG, France (AFP) Apr 28, 2003
An earthquake measuring 5.8 degrees on the Richter scale has hit northwestern Brazil, the earth sciences observatory in the eastern French city of Strasbourg said on Monday.

The observatory said the epicentre of the quake, which occurred at 2256 GMT on Sunday, was northwest of Rio Branco, near the border with Bolivia and Peru.

The biggest quake in the region occurred on May 5, 1989, and measured 6.4 degrees on the Richter scale, the observatory said.

SPACE.WIRE