Second strong quake hits Southern California
A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook Southern California causing some damage to buildings.
It struck with 11 times more force than an apparent foreshock that rattled the same area a day earlier.
The latest quake hit near the town of Ridgecrest on the edge of Death Valley National Park, about 125 miles (202 km) northeast of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It was also measured at 7.1 by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Agency.
Lucy Jones, a seismologist for the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), said Friday's quake was the most powerful to hit the region since another 7.1 temblor in the same area in 1999.
The San Bernadino County Fire Department reported that Friday's quake had caused some damage to buildings.
"Homes shifted, foundation cracks, retaining walls down," the department said on Twitter. "One injury (minor) with firefighters treating patient. No unmet needs currently."
A swarm of strong aftershocks have jolted the high desert region of Southern California since a 6.4 quake on Thursday morning. Only a few injuries were reported in Thursday's quake but two houses caught fire from broken gas pipes, officials said.
Published: by Radio NewsHub