(Recasts, adds quote from civil defense official, changes dateline from WASHINGTON) PANAMA CITY, Oct 21 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean near Panama on Wednesday but authorities said they had no initial reports of damage. "We are monitoring the situation. For now there is no damage," Arturo Alvarado De Icaza, the head of Panama's civil defense agency, told Reuters. The epicenter of the quake was 111 miles (179 km) south of the city of David and at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km), the U.S. Geological Survey said. Residents in the capital Panama City, about 200 miles (322 km) from David, said they did not feel any movement. There was no immediate tsunami warning in the area. A quake of magnitude 6 or above is considered strong and capable of causing severe damage in populated areas. (Reporting by Sean Mattson; Editing by John O'Callaghan)
People gather outside an office building after fleeing from their office when an earthquake shook Jakarta October 16, 2009. Indonesia was hit by a strong quake off Java island, in the ...
