KABUL, Sept 30 (AFP) - United Nations teams in Afghanistan on Monday were investigating whether a moderate earthquake which hit the north of the country had caused damage or casualties.

There were no reports of immediate damage or casualties from the late Sunday quake, which was felt in the Afghan capital Kabul.

It was measured by the Indian Meteorological Department as 5.2 on the Richter scale, according to India's UNI news ageny.

UNI said the earthquake, which struck about 1700 GMT Sunday, was centred on the northern province of Taxar, to the east of Baghlan province where a large quake earlier this year left hundreds dead and thousands of people homeless.

United Nations spokemsman David Singh said there was no information immediately available from the area.

bjn/bc/kma AFP

Copyright (c) 2002 Agence France-Presse
Received by NewsEdge Insight: 09/30/2002 01:02:19