An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale jolted most parts of El Salvador on Saturday, damaging many buildings but causing no casualties.

The National Territorial Studies Service said the epicenter of the quake, which struck at 11:42 a.m. local time (17:42 GMT), was located in coastal areas off Guatemala.

Though the tremor caused no casualties, it damaged some houses in areas adjoining Guatemala, with cracks visible on the walls of some buildings, the service said.

About 980 earthquakes had been reported since Dec. 17 in western El Salvador, affecting 2,242 homes and rendering 5,520 people homeless. Among the quakes, nearly 160 were strong enough to be felt.

The worst-hit were the towns of Atiquizaya, Turin and San Lorenzo in the Ahuachapan region. In San Lorenzo, half of the buildings collapsed in the quakes.

The government had declared a red alert status in five worst-hit towns.

El Salvador is located in an area frequently hit by earthquakes. In 2001, several major earthquakes claimed more than 1,000 lives in the Central American country.

Source: Xinhua