Strong quake rocks Iceland

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REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) -- A strong earthquake shook southern Iceland on Thursday, damaging roads and buildings. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.1 magnitude quake hit at 3:46 p.m. (1546 GMT), with its epicenter near the town of Selfoss, 30 miles (50 kilometers) east, southeast of the capital, Reykjavik. The Icelandic Geological Survey said it measured 6.3 on the Richter scale.

Residents in the capital felt buildings shake.

Iceland's national broadcaster RUV radio reported no injuries but said buildings had been damaged near the epicenter. Authorities advised residents in the area to leave their homes because of the possibility of aftershocks.

The road between Reykjavik and Selfoss was closed by quake damage, RUV said.

Don Blakeman, an earthquake analyst at the U.S. Geological Survey, said earlier, less reliable readings had indicated the quake could have been as powerful as a magnitude 6.7.

"It looks like a 6.1 or a 6.2," he said by telephone. "As this part of Iceland sits on the north Atlantic ridge, it's not uncommon for there to be earthquakes."

Iceland, population 300,000, is a geologically unstable volcanic island in the north Atlantic.

The country's last major earthquake, in June 2000, measured 6.6 on the Richter scale. It knocked down a dozen houses but caused no serious injuries