The 4.5-magnitude earthquake that struck the town of Pernik near the capital Sofia, shook apartment buildings, rattled windows and caused residents to rush into the streets.

Initial reports suggest the quake, which occurred close to 4:00pm (local time) on Saturday, caused no casualties or damage.

The jolt was felt very strongly on the top floors of buildings in Pernik and panicked residents kept calling the national radio stations and news agencies.

The tremor was also felt in the capital Sofia.

The quake revived grim memories of the strong 5.8-magnitude quake that struck south-west of Bulgaria's capital Sofia at the end of May.

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