ABAKAN, December 22, 3:36 /ITAR-TASS/. A group of emergency workers from a local division of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations in Khakassia, a republic in South Siberia, are examining all buildings and facilities in all settlements in Altai district of the republic after an earthquake that had rocked the republic overnight to Sunday, chief press officer of the republican emergency situation department Irina Butenko told Itar-Tass on Sunday.

The rescuers are examining the buildings jointly with representatives of local authorities. No major damages have been found at the socially important facilities and life-supporting facilities yet.

Local residents do not voice any complaints and do not have any panicky moods, the department said.

The aftershocks of the earthquake in Khakassia measured about six points on the MSK-64 scale in the neighbouring Russian regions. The distance from the epicentre of the earthquake to the city of Sayanogorsk makes about 26 kilometres, the regional centre of Abakan - 45 kilometres, Kyzyl - 265 kilometres and to Krasnoyarsk - 420 kilometres.

The seismologists assumed that aftershocks are possible in the earthquake area. The aftershocks are usually weaker than the first tremors and do not pose a threat to people.

The earthquake measured 4.6 points on the open-ended Richter scale has occurred in Altai district of Khakassia, 50 kilometres south of Abakan, overnight to Sunday. The Krasnoyarsk scientific-research institute of geology and mineral resources noted that the seismic event had broken out at 01:51 local time on Sunday (21:51 Moscow time on Saturday).

The Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station and other life-supporting facilities are working in the routine mode, the main pipelines of energy infrastructure and other public utilities also operate without any breakdowns.