An earthquake shook the Lake Kivu region of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday, further damaging buildings hit by quakes earlier this month, a UN official said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The latest earthquake, of magnitude 5.5, followed two quakes that hit Africa?s Great Lakes region on February 3, killing more than 40 people and injuring hundreds, mostly in southern Rwanda. ?It was less powerful this time,? Jacqueline Chenard, spokeswoman in the eastern town of Bukavu for the UN mission in Congo (MONUC), told Reuters. ?The epicentre was southwest of the island of Idjwi at a depth of 8 km under the Lake (Kivu),? Chenard added.

She said buildings in Bukavu already hit by the earlier quakes suffered further damage yesterday. A crisis team of UN officials and local authorities, already set up to deal with the consequences of the previous quakes, was preparing a report on damage and any casualties.