LIMA -- A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale rocked southern Peru Monday sparking panic, although the amount of damage was not clear, the country's Geophysics Institute said.

The quake hit at 12:53 p.m. (1753 GMT) and was centered in the Pacific Ocean some 74 kilometers (46 miles) west of the city of Pisco at a depth of 35 kilometers (22 miles).

It was initially measured at 6.0 on the Richter scale, but later downgraded to 5.8.

The US Geological Survey, which uses the Moment Magnitude scale to measure earthquakes, put the tremor at 5.5.

Preliminary reports showed no victims or significant damages, a source at the San Juan de Dios hospital in Pisco told AFP.

Many people in Pisco, however, rushed outside homes and buildings when the quake struck, fearing another major catastrophe like the August 207, 7.9 degree quake that killed 595 people and destroyed 80 percent of the city.