Earthquake strikes northern Italy

An earthquake of 5.2 magnitude struck northern Italy on Tuesday near the city of Parma, but no damage or injuries were initially reported, Italy's civil protection agency said.

The earthquake was felt across northern Italy, from financial capital Milan to Florence to Trieste, local media reported.

The U.S. Geological Survey, which estimated the earthquake's magnitude at a slightly higher 5.3, said it struck at a depth of 28.9 km (18 miles). It ranks quakes in this range as moderate.

"The area (near the quake's epicentre) is well constructed, so there shouldn't be serious problems," said Enzo Boschi, president of Italy's national institute of geophysics.

He added the quake was "nothing catastrophic" but told Italian media that there could be other quakes of smaller magnitudes in the coming hours.

He said the quake was felt in a radius of 100 to 150 km from its epicentre southeast of Parma.