LISBON, Portugal, July 9 -- A strong earthquake has shaken the Portuguese Azores Islands, killing 10 people and injuring 90, Portuguese media reports say. The quake measured 5.8 on the open-ended Richter scale, and Portuguese radio says the epicenter was in the Atlantic Ocean just north of the island of Faial.
At least 1,000 people have been left homeless by the quake, and rescue teams say the death toll on Faial could rise further as a search of the rubble continues. Serious damage was reported on the neighboring island of Corvo. The quake, which struck at 5.20 a.m. local time, caused damage on other islands in the Azores chain, but there were no immediate reports of casualties there. The Portuguese government is sending medical teams and supplies from Lisbon. Portugal's air force has sent a Hercules C-130 transport plane from Lisbon with tents for 1,000 people and several thousand blankets. The Azores, a volcanic group of islands 800 miles southwest of the Iberian peninsula, are frequently shaken by tremors. ---
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