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| California earthquake: Larger 7.1 magnitude quake hits | California earthquake: Larger 7.1 magnitude quake hits |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has rattled a desert area of Southern California, US meteorologists say, in the biggest tremor to strike in two decades. | A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has rattled a desert area of Southern California, US meteorologists say, in the biggest tremor to strike in two decades. |
| It struck at the shallow depth of 0.9km (0.6 miles) and its epicentre was near the city of Ridgecrest, about 240km north-east of Los Angeles. | It struck at the shallow depth of 0.9km (0.6 miles) and its epicentre was near the city of Ridgecrest, about 240km north-east of Los Angeles. |
| A 6.4 magnitude quake hit the same region on Thursday at a depth of nearly 11km. | A 6.4 magnitude quake hit the same region on Thursday at a depth of nearly 11km. |
| Seismologist Dr Lucy Jones said the quakes could continue. | |
| "This is an earthquake sequence," she said at a press conference. "It will be ongoing." | |
| "Every earthquake makes another earthquake more likely," she added. | |
| What's the damage? | |
| As yet, there have been no reports of deaths or of major damage. | As yet, there have been no reports of deaths or of major damage. |
| The Los Angeles Fire Department said nobody had been killed or injured. A statement after the latest quake said the authorities had seen "no major infrastructure damage" after a survey of the city. | The Los Angeles Fire Department said nobody had been killed or injured. A statement after the latest quake said the authorities had seen "no major infrastructure damage" after a survey of the city. |
| There were however reports of local power outages and damage after the new quake. A spokeswoman for the Kern County Fire Department said there had received multiple reports of injuries and fires. | There were however reports of local power outages and damage after the new quake. A spokeswoman for the Kern County Fire Department said there had received multiple reports of injuries and fires. |
| Officials said it was still unclear how much damage had been caused and how many people had been injured in the state. | Officials said it was still unclear how much damage had been caused and how many people had been injured in the state. |
| "It was bad. Man. It hasn't stopped yet," local resident Jeremiah Jones told the Los Angeles Times. | "It was bad. Man. It hasn't stopped yet," local resident Jeremiah Jones told the Los Angeles Times. |
| Thursday's event wrecked some homes in the region. | Thursday's event wrecked some homes in the region. |
| What do we know about the new quake? | What do we know about the new quake? |
| It hit at 20:19 local time on Friday (03:19 GMT Saturday), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. | |
| There are reports of fires and other damage in Ridgecrest, the Los Angeles Times reports, quoting local emergency officials. | There are reports of fires and other damage in Ridgecrest, the Los Angeles Times reports, quoting local emergency officials. |
| After Thursday's event, seismologists had been warning that aftershocks could continue for a prolonged period of time. | After Thursday's event, seismologists had been warning that aftershocks could continue for a prolonged period of time. |
| Ridgecrest resident Jessica Kormelink told AFP news agency the ground stops shaking briefly "and then it starts rolling again". | Ridgecrest resident Jessica Kormelink told AFP news agency the ground stops shaking briefly "and then it starts rolling again". |
| "I'm not comfortable inside," she said. | "I'm not comfortable inside," she said. |
| California is prone to earthquakes as it lies on a number of faults - regions where tectonic plates come together. | California is prone to earthquakes as it lies on a number of faults - regions where tectonic plates come together. |
| Dr Jones told the Los Angeles Times this fault could be up to 30 miles long. | |
| "The fault is growing," she said. "We ruptured a piece in the first earthquake... and we've ruptured more now." | "The fault is growing," she said. "We ruptured a piece in the first earthquake... and we've ruptured more now." |
| The San Andreas Fault is the largest, extending about 1,200km through the state. | The San Andreas Fault is the largest, extending about 1,200km through the state. |
| Quake raises fears of 'the Big One' | |
| By Peter Bowes, BBC North America correspondent | |
| Californians are on permanent alert for the 'Big One', a catastrophic earthquake that seismologists say is well overdue. | |
| This latest series of quakes has caused relatively minor damage - that we are currently aware of - but they have rattled nerves, big time. | |
| The latest was felt as far afield as Las Vegas in Nevada, Palm Springs to the east of Los Angeles, and Beverly Hills. | |
| With a baseball game in progress at Dodger Stadium, in downtown LA, people fled from their seats as the building started to shake - although the players, apparently oblivious to what was happening, continued with the game. | |
| This event serves as a wakeup call to residents of densely populated areas, like Los Angeles, that it is only a matter of time before the mighty San Andreas fault blows. A magnitude of 7.0 or higher would likely cause widespread death and destruction. |