Western Germany's Mannheim area shaken by 3.3-magnitude earthquake

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake shook the Mannheim area in western Germany, according to the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences and the regional earthquake service.

The earthquake near the city of Worms in Rhineland-Palatinate was likely felt within a 20-kilometre radius from the epicentre, with buildings shaking for several seconds.

No damage was reported following the earthquake, which was felt at police headquarters in Mannheim and described as "a little unsettling" by a police spokesman.

An earthquake measuring at least 3.3 shook the Mannheim area in western Germany, according to the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences and the regional earthquake service on Thursday.

The South-West Earthquake Service reported a "weak earthquake'"at 5:27 pm (1527 GMT) near the city of Worms in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

The earthquake was likely to have been felt within a radius of around 20 kilometres from the epicentre, the authorities said.

According to a dpa reporter in Worms, the tremor was clearly felt inside buildings in the city centre. The buildings shook for several seconds.

A police spokesman in Worms said the city received a small to mid double-digit number of calls following the quake earthquake. He said he felt the tremors himself at the station.

Worms is located in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate, near the border with Baden-Württemberg, and has around 88,000 inhabitants.

No damage was reported according to initial information from emergency services in Worms and Mannheim.

A spokesman for Mannheim police said the tremors were felt at police headquarters: "It was a little unsettling," he said.

Those affected said they thought something had driven into the building they were in. Otherwise, the situation on the city's streets remained calm after the event.

Strong earthquakes are rare in Germany. Seismic activity occurs in the country from time to time, but it is very rare for them to be strong enough to make buildings collapse.

Minor tremors, however, are recorded constantly by earthquake researchers. For a quake to be felt, special conditions must apply: either a particularly high magnitude or an epicentre located close to the surface.