Magnitude 7.5 quake hits Peru-Brazil border, no damage reported

LIMA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A major quake of magnitude 7.5 struck the Peruvian-Brazilian border in the Amazon basin on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.1, was felt all the way to the south of Peru, close to the Chilean border, according to local media. The quake could also be felt in the capital, Lima, 423 miles (681 km) away to the east, witnesses said.

Peru's Geophysics Institute reported an initial quake of magnitude 7.3 followed by one of magnitude 7.2

The main quake's epicenter was located 184 miles (296 km) northwest of the Peruvian city of Puerto Maldonado.

It was very deep, 374.3 miles (602 km) below ground, and in a sparsely populated jungle area of the Amazon so was unlikely to cause much damage or casualties.

The USGS said a second quake, of magnitude 5.9 struck nearby a few minutes later, also very deep.

The head of Peru's emergency services, Alfredo Murgueytio, said the quake and an aftershock hit the Amazon region. "At this point there are no reported damages," he said.

A representative of mining company Southern Copper , one of Peru's biggest copper producers located in Southern Peru, said operations were undamaged. Peru is the world's No. 3 copper producer.

Several residents of the Brazilian city of Brasileia, 153.5 miles (247 km) west of the epicenter, told Reuters they felt the ground shake and that chairs and tables rattled during the quake, but that there was not visible damage. (Reporting by Teresa Cespedes; Additional reporting by Sandra Maler in Washington and Alonso Soto in Brasilia; Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)