California Hit by 7.1-Magnitude Earthquake

Southern California has been hit by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake, the biggest tremor to strike in 20 years.

The quake struck at the shallow depth of 0.6 miles and its epicenter was near the city of Ridgecrest, about 150 miles north-east of Los Angeles.

On July 4, a 6.4-magnitude quake hit the same area at a depth of nearly 6.5 miles.

The earthquake was felt as far away as Las Vegas in the neighboring state of Nevada and over the border in Mexico.

California Governor Gavin Newsom offered his heartfelt support to all those affected, and has requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration and federal aid to help.

Fires have broken out and emergency services are responding to calls across the state after the quake.

Kern County Fire Department Chief David Witt said about 1,800 people had no power after the quake, but added there were “nothing but minor injuries… such as cuts and bruises, by the grace of god”.

According to the San Bernardino County Fire Department, “damage is more significant than yesterday’s quake”, and said they were tackling blazes and gas leaks.

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Officials said it was still unclear how much damage had been caused and how many people had been injured in the state.

The LA Fire Department however 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.

Crowds at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game were seen leaving their seats when the quake struck, although the players themselves continued playing.

A US Navy weapons testing station near Ridgecrest was also affected.

NAWS China Lake – the Navy’s single largest landholding, covering an area larger than the state of Rhode Island – announced on Facebook it is “not mission capable until further notice”, without providing details.

In Las Vegas, a basketball match between the New York Knicks and the New Orleans Pelicans was abandoned because of the tremors.

The quake hit at 20:19 local time on July 5, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

After July 4 event, seismologists had been warning that aftershocks could continue for a prolonged period of time.

California is prone to earthquakes as it lies on a number of faults – regions where tectonic plates come together.