A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 shook Romania and other countries in the region, the Earth Physics Institute said, causing panic but no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage. Wednesday night's quake was centered in Vrancea, 175 kilometers (110 miles) northeast of Bucharest on the eastern rim of the Carpathian mountains, the center said. It struck at 11:34 p.m. (2034 GMT) and was felt in several other Romanian cities, including Iasi, Bacau and the capital, where it knocked out telephone service. The quake also was felt in Turkey, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine.
