Reuters Wednesday, August 27, 2008; 12:55 AM

MOSCOW (Reuters) - An intense earthquake measuring nine on the Richter scale hit the Lake Baikal area of eastern Siberia on Wednesday, triggering reports of panic, but there were no immediate reports of death or damage, officials said.

Russian news agencies reported that local services were hit in the regional capital Irkutsk.

"Immediately after the tremors in Irkutsk, there were cuts in electricity, mobile connections and the Internet, banks postponed work. Some houses lost roofs," reported RIA news agency from the city.

"There were no immediate reports of victims or damage," a spokesman for the local Emergencies Services Ministry told Reuters.

The official said the epicenter was around 30 km (20 miles) northeast of the town of Baikalsk at 10:35 local time.

He said that close to the shore of Lake Baikal, where a major pulp and paper plant is located, the tremor measured eight on the Richter scale.

Work at the plant, which environmentalists want closed, was suspended for an hour for safety checks, but had now resumed, said the spokesman.

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