A 4.7-MAGNITUDE earthquake shook buildings in Los Angeles today, with US seismologists saying it was the strongest to hit the area since 2010, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.
The epicentre of the quake was some 19 kilometres southeast of Anza, California – about 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles – and was felt in San Diego, two hours’ drive down the coast from LA.
The quake shook buildings including one housing AFP’s offices in Hollywood, northwest of downtown. But there were no immediate reports of people being hurt or property being damaged, according to the Los Angeles Times or other media.
The USGS initially put the magnitude of the quake at 5.1, but later downgraded it to 4.7. It was still the strongest quake in the LA metropolis since since 2010.
“It’s been three years since we had anything this size this close to Los Angeles,” said USGS seismologist Susan Hough.
Los Angeles is on the so-called “Ring of Fire”, which circles the Pacific and has produced a number of devastating earthquakes, including Japan’s March 2011 quake and tsunami, which killed thousands of people.
While major quakes in recent years have shaken Japan, Indonesia, Chile, New Zealand and Mexico, the US West Coast has been spared.
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