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Report: Magnitude 5.2 earthquake hits Algerian town | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) – An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 hit northern Algeria on Friday, in the same region that saw a major deadly quake in 2003, the state APS news agency reported. Initial reports said three people were injured.

Friday’s earthquake hit 8 kilometers (5 miles) northeast of the town of Boumerdes at 8:33 a.m. (0733 GMT), APS cited the Algerian Research Center for Astronomy, Astrophysics and Geophysics in Algiers as saying in a statement.

The civil protection agency said three people were lightly injured and no damages were reported, APS reported. The quake prompted brief panic among residents of nearby towns and villages, APS said.

The Boumerdes region, just east of the capital, Algiers, sees frequent seismic activity. In May 2003, an earthquake there killed more than 2,200 people and injured at least 10,000.