Magnitude 5 earthquake felt in southeastern France

A magnitude 5 earthquake was felt in southeastern France on Monday, according to a provisional reading from the National Network for Seismic Monitoring.

The quake, at 1927 GMT, was centred about 50 km (30 miles) inland from the Riviera city of Nice and was close to the Italian border, at a depth of 5 km.

No damage was immediately reported, Pierre-Martin Charpenel, mayor of Barcelonnette, a town near the epicentre, told BFMTV.

Strong earthquakes are rare in France.