Moderate 5.3 magnitude earthquake hits southwestern Pakistan

QUETTA: A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan on Friday, but officials said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The epicentre was in the city of Khuzdar, in Baluchistan province, at a depth of 26 kilometres (16 miles), meteorological official Zabih Ullah told AFP.

The quake, which struck late morning, was also felt in surrounding towns and districts. Pakistan straddles part of the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes.

It was hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake on October 8, 2005 that killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake devastated several areas in southwestern Baluchistan province in September last year. It killed at least 370 people and left 100,000 homeless.

Moderate earthquake jolts southern Iran

TEHRAN: Iran’s state TV says a magnitude 5.3 earthquake has jolted a sparsely populated district in the south of the country. The quake was moderate and no injuries were reported.

The TV says the quake struck in Shonbeh on Thursday morning, at 04:01 a.m. local time (Wednesday 23:31 GMT).Last April, a magnitude 6.1 quake killed dozens and injured hundreds in the same district but authorities said it did not damage the nearby nuclear reactor in Bushehr, about 96 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Shonbeh.

Iran sits on a series of seismic fault lines and experiences one slight earthquake a day on average.

In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a magnitude 6.6 quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam.

 

6.1-magnitude earthquake shakes Nicaragua

A strong earthquake damaged dozens of houses in western Nicaragua on Thursday, and authorities said that at least 23 people were injured by falling ceilings, beams and walls in one town.

The 6.1-magnitude quake caused panicked Nicaraguans to run into the streets and callers to local radio stations complained that electricity and water services had been disrupted in their areas.

Apparently hardest hit was the town of Nagarote, along with the communities around it, where more than 100 houses were damaged, said Guillermo Gonzalez, director of the disaster prevention agency. Nagarote is located about 30 miles (50 kilometres) northwest of the capital, Managua.

Mr. Gonzalez said that at least 23 people were injured by falling walls, ceilings and other objects. Three of the injured were taken to a Managua hospital.

Mr. Gonzalez said that two houses were damaged in Managua and landslides had blocked two highways south of the capital.

Authorities suspended classes on Friday in the cities of Leon and Managua.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 5-27 p.m. local time (23-27 GMT), and was centred about 11 miles (18 kilometres) southeast of the city of Larreynaga. It had a depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometres).

Nicaraguans reported feeling a strong aftershock minutes later that the USGS said was a 5.1-magnitude quake centred 3 miles (5 kilometres) west of Ciudad Sandino.

6.1-magnitude earthquake shakes Nicaragua

A strong earthquake damaged dozens of houses in western Nicaragua on Thursday, and authorities said that at least 23 people were injured by falling ceilings, beams and walls in one town.

The 6.1-magnitude quake caused panicked Nicaraguans to run into the streets and callers to local radio stations complained that electricity and water services had been disrupted in their areas.

Apparently hardest hit was the town of Nagarote, along with the communities around it, where more than 100 houses were damaged, said Guillermo Gonzalez, director of the disaster prevention agency. Nagarote is located about 30 miles (50 kilometres) northwest of the capital, Managua.

Mr. Gonzalez said that at least 23 people were injured by falling walls, ceilings and other objects. Three of the injured were taken to a Managua hospital.

Mr. Gonzalez said that two houses were damaged in Managua and landslides had blocked two highways south of the capital.

Authorities suspended classes on Friday in the cities of Leon and Managua.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 5-27 p.m. local time (23-27 GMT), and was centred about 11 miles (18 kilometres) southeast of the city of Larreynaga. It had a depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometres).

Nicaraguans reported feeling a strong aftershock minutes later that the USGS said was a 5.1-magnitude quake centred 3 miles (5 kilometres) west of Ciudad Sandino.

Magnitude-5.1 earthquake shakes Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES: A magnitude-5.1 earthquake centered south of Los Angeles shook residents throughout Southern California and sent bottles and cans tumbling off shelves in stores, produced a rock slide that closed a road and forced a brief shutdown of rides at Disneyland. There were no reports of major damage or injuries.

n the Orange County city of Fullerton, 20 apartment units and half a dozen homes were red-tagged because of damage, displacing 83 people, police Lt. Mike Chlebowski said.

Southern California Edison reported power outages to about 2,000 customers following the quake.

The temblor struck at 9:09 p.m. Friday and was centered near Brea in Orange County, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, at a depth of 5 miles. It was felt as far south as San Diego and as far north as Ventura County, according to citizen responses collected online by the U.S. Geological Survey.

More than 100 aftershocks followed, including a magnitude-3.4 that hit Saturday morning. The main shock was preceded by two foreshocks registering magnitudes 3.6 and 2.1, scientists said.

Broken glass, gas leaks, water main breaks and a rockslide were reported near the epicenter, according to Twitter updates from local authorities.

Tom Connolly, a Boeing employee who lives in La Mirada, said the 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. "Right in the beginning it shook really hard, so it was a little unnerving. People got quiet and started bracing themselves by holding on to each other. It was a little scary." (AP)