Powerful earthquake rocks Costa Rican capital San Jose

The US Geological Survey said the 7.6-magnitude quake occurred beneath the Nicoya peninsula, 140km (87 miles) west of the capital, San Jose.

Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla said she had no reports of deaths or any other major damages.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has cancelled the tsunami warning it had issued for Costa Rica and its immediate neighbours, Nicaragua and Panama.

The quake rattled buildings in some parts of the capital of San Jose, Reuters news agency reported.

Power and communications were briefly knocked out, according to the Costa Rican authorities.

Regional media reported the quake could be felt as far away as Nicaragua and El Salvador.

The US Geological Survey originally said it had a magnitude of 7.9, but revised it down to 7.6.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which had at first issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific coast of most of Central and South America, has cancelled its alert.

President Chinchillla said Costa Rica's emergency services were surveying the damage.