A magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit eastern Algeria on Friday, toppling three houses, damaging others and sending panicked people rushing into the streets but there were no reports of casualties, the civil protection service said.
The quake, which was followed by a 4.5 aftershock, hit Mila province, some 350 km east of the capital Algiers, Reuters reported.
Three homes, including a four-story villa completely collapsed while 31 other apartments partially collapsed, civil protection said.
The quake also caused cracks in other homes and a road had to be closed as a result of the damage, Reuters quoted it as saying.
In 2003, an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 hit the capital and nearby areas, killing 2,000 people.
