BOGOTA, April 19 (Reuters) - A mountainous area of northeast Colombia was hit by a strong earthquake for the second time in less than a week, but no damage or injuries were reported, authorities said on Monday.

The state-run National Seismological Institute said the latest quake, measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale and powerful enough to cause considerable damage in a populated area, occurred at 8:21 p.m. on Sunday (0121 Monday GMT).

Its epicenter was located in the Cordillera Oriental mountains, 25 miles (41 km) southeast of the city of Bucaramanga, and it was felt across much of northern Colombia, the institute said.

An earthquake that registered a powerful 6.3 on the Richter scale, capable of causing severe damage, occurred in the same area on Wednesday of last week.

But like Sunday night's temblor, it occurred too far beneath the earth's crust to cause any significant damage on the surface.

In January, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale tore through Colombia's central coffee-growing region, killing more than 1,230 people, injuring 4,800, and causing millions of dollars in damages.

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