Earthquake hits southern California with 'rocking' felt in downtown LA
The tremor, which occurred in a mountain pass where two major faults come together, was felt in downtown Los Angeles.
Friday 5 January 2024 20:34, UK
An earthquake has hit southern California - with a preliminary magnitude of 4.1.
The US Geological Survey says it struck at 10:55am local time on Friday about one mile northwest of Lytle Creek, in the mountains east of Los Angeles.
Michael Guardado, an employee at the San Bernardino National Forest's Lytle Creek Ranger Station, said the "building shook hard".
An employee at a local restaurant also said she felt "a hard boom and a shake".
Cari Torguson, who works at Melody's Place in Lytle Creek, added: "It wasn't very long but it was scary."
The quake was felt as a slight rocking in downtown Los Angeles, which is about 45 miles (72km) away from the epicentre.
There were no immediate reports of injury or damage to any of the city's buildings or infrastructure, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
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East of Los Angeles County, the San Bernardino County fire authorities said they have received no damage reports or service calls.
As it was initially estimated to be above magnitude 4.5, people in the area received automated alerts on their mobile phones.
The quake occurred in Cajon Pass, where the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults come together, according to veteran seismologist Lucy Jones.
A 5.2 magnitude quake hit close to the same location in 1970, she added.
California frequently experiences earthquakes and on New Year's Day, a 4.1 magnitude tremor hit off the coast, 11 miles (18km) away from the city of Rancho Palos Verdes.
One of the most powerful quakes in the state's recent history struck in December 2022, when an "insane" 6.4 magnitude tremor left two people dead and tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power.
The quake happened near the town of Ferndale in Humboldt County and more than a dozen smaller ones appeared to hit parts of the region afterwards.