Vietnam quake hurts dozens

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Vietnam's northern province of Lai Chau, destroyed many houses and injured dozens of people, an official afternoon newspaper said. The quake hit late on Monday night and rocked Dien Bien Phu, capital of Lai Chau province, with aftershocks into the morning of Tuesday, Reuters cites the Tin Tuc (News) newspaper run by the official Vietnam News Agency as saying. The residents were injured as they tried to escape from their homes, the paper reported without giving details. Meteorological and provincial officials were not immediately available for comment on the quake's impact.