WATCH: L.A. rattled by another earthquake. Michele Gile reports from Fullerton, CA
LOS ANGELES – A magnitude-5.1 earthquake centred near Los Angeles caused no major damage but jittered nerves throughout the region as dozens of aftershocks followed.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at about 9:09 p.m. Friday and was centred near Brea in Orange County — about 32 kilometres southeast of downtown Los Angeles — at a depth of about 8 kilometres.
WATCH: USGS officials report no significant damage or injuries
Broken glass, gas leaks, water main breaks and a rockslide were reported near the epicenter, according to Twitter updates from local authorities. Photos and videos showed bottles and packages strewn on store floors. Southern California Edison reported power outages to about 2,000 customers.
WATCH: Aftershock hits during USGS press conference
Public safety officials said crews were inspecting bridges, dams, rail tracks and other infrastructure systems for signs of damage. The Brea police department said the rock slide in the Carbon Canyon area caused a car to overturn.
Callers to KNX-AM reported seeing a brick wall collapse, water sloshing in a swimming pool and wires and trees swaying back and forth. One caller was in a movie theatre lobby in Brea when the quake struck.
“A lot of the glass in the place shook like crazy,” he said. “It started like a roll and then it started shaking like crazy. Everybody ran outside, hugging each other in the streets.”
WATCH: Dogs react before humans to L.A. earthquake
A helicopter news reporter from KNBC-TV reported that rides at Disneyland in Anaheim – several miles from the epicenter – were stopped as a precaution.
Tom Connolly, a Boeing employee who lives in La Mirada, the next town over from La Habra, said the magnitude-5.1 quake lasted about 30 seconds.
“We felt a really good jolt. It was a long rumble and it just didn’t feel like it would end,” he told The Associated Press by phone.
Southern California has not experienced a devastating earthquake since the 1994 magnitude-6.7 Northridge quake killed several dozen people and caused $25 billion in damage.
Preliminary data suggest Friday night’s 5.1 magnitude earthquake occurred near the Puente Hills thrust fault, which stretches from the San Gabriel Valley to downtown Los Angeles and caused the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said.
The 5.9 magnitude Whittier Narrows quake killed eight people and caused $360 million in damage.
AP sports reporter Beth Harris contributed to this report from Buena Park, California.
- High benzene levels detected near Ontario First Nation for weeks, residents report sickness
- Ontario takes action against chemical plant after Aamjiwnaang First Nation residents fell ill
- Enter at your own risk: New home security camera aims paintballs at intruders
- Beijing orders Apple to pull WhatsApp, Threads from its China app store
Comments