Big Quake Rattles Southern Siberia

A strong earthquake rocked southern Siberia on Friday, sending frightened residents into the streets. Russian officials said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The epicenter was in the Tumkin Valley in Buryatia, an earthquake-prone region bordering Mongolia, said Yekaterina Morova, a spokeswoman for the Emergency Situations Ministry.

The valley is about 70 miles southwest of the city of Irkutsk, which lies at the southern end of Lake Baikal.

There were varying estimates of the quake’s magnitude. Russia put it at 7. But the U.S. Earthquake Information Service in Golden, Colo., said the magnitude was 5.4.