"A mild earthquake was registered in Limassol at around 3:55 pm (1355 GMT), but there were no victims or structural damage reported," a police spokesman told AFP.

Authorities said the quake measured 4.5, one of the strongest recorded on the Mediterranean island this year, but the epicentre was not immediately pinpointed.

The tremor was felt mainly by those living in high-rise buildings and lasted a few seconds, said residents of the town on the south coast. Some office buildings were evacuated.

"The whole place started shaking and I began to panic," said 60-year-old Nitsa Thrasyvoulou.

The east Mediterranean island is situated on an active fault line and prone to seismic activity. The largest recorded quake measured 6.3 on the Richter scale in October 1996, causing only minor damage.

TERRA.WIRE