A strong earthquake has hit the west coast of Central America on the border of Costa Rica and Panama, causing damage to some structures but there haven't been any immediate reports of deaths.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured it as a 6.1-magnitude quake that struck at a depth of 19 kilometres (12 miles) at 2:24 p.m. local time (11:24 a.m. B.C. time) today (May 12).

The epicentre was located 5.5 kilometres (3.4 miles) north of Santa Cruz, Panama, and 29 kilometres (18 miles) southwest of Volcán, Panama.

Although some buildings were damaged and there were two injuries reported, no fatalities have been reported so far.