A 5.2-magnitude earthquake near Los Angeles shakes Southern California
Authorities rule out the possibility of a tsunami following the quake. No major damage was reported although a large rockslide cut several lanes along Interstate 5.
Epicenter of the earthquake and affected areas.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake occured Thursday night in southern California. The quake, whose epicenter was located in sparsely populated farmland in Kern County near Los Angeles, and was followed by several aftershocks reaching magnitudes of 4.5. No major damage has been reported so far, although a large rockslide blocked lanes on an interstate highway.
The first warning from the U.S. Geological Survey, at 21.09 local time, gave a tenth more to the strength of the phenomenon, which was barely felt by the most populated cities in the surrounding area, reports the Los Angeles Times. Dozens of aftershocks from the quake followed almost immediately, including one of magnitude 4.5, recorded less than a minute after the original and another of 4.1 just 10 minutes after the first.
The earthquake did not cause major damage
The impact of the earthquake was felt strongly in the area near the epicenter, which caused concern at first due to the proximity of the aqueduct that transports water from the north to the south of the Golden State, although it does not appear to have suffered damage as a result of the tremor.
There were several lane closures on southbound Interstate 5 at Gravepine Road following the fall of an SUV-sized boulder that impeded vehicle traffic.
Although the tremor was barely felt in Los Angeles, the city's mayor, Karen Bass, announced that the protocol had been activated to continue checking for possible damage. Authorities ruled out that the quake could trigger a tsunami.
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