Port-Au-Prince: A shallow, but weak earthquake struck close to the Port-au-Prince Wednesday evening, according to US seismologists, without causing damage but sparking panic on the streets of the capital.

The 4.6 magnitude quake that hit at 9:51 pm was only at a depth of 4.9 km, and just 37 km southeast of the densely populated city that is still recovering from a devastating 2010 earthquake that left some 250,000 people dead.

The quake on Wednesday caused hundreds of Haitians to run out of buildings and onto the streets, according to an AFP reporter on the scene.