Earthquake hits Georgia; no casualties

TBILISI (Reuters) - An earthquake measuring up to 6.2 in magnitude struck mountainous northwestern Georgia on Tuesday but caused no casualties or major damage.

Estimates of the magnitude of the quake, which struck in the early morning hours, ranged from 5.5 to 6.2.

"There were no casualties or destruction, just cracks on the walls of some houses," Emergency Services head Irakly Kadagidze told Reuters.

The epicenter of the earthquake was Georgia's Oni region, 70 km (43 miles) north of Kutaisi. Kutaisi is 236 km (147 miles) west of the capital Tbilisi, where some residents felt the earthquake.

Kadagidze said the quake measured 5.5. The U.S. Geological Survey said it was 6.2 in magnitude and 10 km (6.2 miles) deep.

Oni region is west of Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region, near the Georgian border with Russia on the slopes of the Caucasus mountains.

South Ossetian authorities said there were no casualties or major damage, Russian news agencies reported.

The last major earthquake in Georgia, measuring 6 in magnitude, struck Tbilisi in April 2002, killing six people and causing significant damage to the capital's Old Town.

(Additional reporting and writing by Matt Robinson; editing by Michael Roddy)