Magnitude 6.0 earthquake unnerves Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty

Almaty (Kazakhstan) : A magnitude 6.0 earthquake has hit southeastern Kazakhstan, causing apartment buildings to sway in the country's largest city, Almaty.

The US Geological Survey reported that the temblor hit at 22:38 pm local time (2108 IST) today and that the epicenter was in a remote mountainous area near the border with Western China and Kyrgyzstan.

The shallow tremors were also felt in the capital of neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. No damage had been reported by late Monday.

Central Asia is a seismically active area.

A powerful earthquake in July 2011 killed at least 14 people across the heavily populated Ferghana valley shared by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.