California: Fissures that opened up under a highway during a powerful earthquake that struck Southern California are seen near the city of Ridgecrest, July 4, 2019. (Photo: Reuters)
Powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocks Southern California sparking fires, canceling ball games and leaving multiple injured – a day after the 6.4 strongest quake in 20 years struck the region
- Another major earthquake hit Southern California late on Friday forcing stoppage of NBA game in Las Vegas
- The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 7.1, making it the largest in Southern California in 20 years
- The brunt of the quake was felt in and around Ridgecrest, a town still reeling from a 6.4 quake on Thursday
- Kern County fire officials reported ‘multiple injuries and multiple fires’ without providing details
- San Bernardino County firefighters said Friday’s earthquake caused cracked buildings and a minor injury
- Seismologist Dr Lucy Jones warned there is about a one-in-10 chance that another 7.0 quake could hit within the next week, and the the chance of a 5.0-magnitude quake ‘is approaching certainty’
- There have been more than 1,700 aftershocks recorded in the area since the first quake on Thursday morning
A powerful earthquake has rocked Southern California for the second time in as many days.
The Friday magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit about 11 miles from Ridgecrest, the town in Kern County which was very close to the epicenter of the magnitude 6.4 quake felt on Thursday.
The quake, which interrupted sports games and sparked fires, was felt in Las Vegas and downtown Los Angeles as a rolling motion that seemed to last at least a half-minute.
Dr Lucy Jones, a seismologist for the California Institute of Technology (CalTech), said Friday’s quake was the most powerful to hit Southern California since another 7.1 temblor in the same area in 1999.
Jones also warned there is about a one-in-10 chance that another 7.0 quake could hit within the next week, and the the chance of a 5.0-magnitude quake ‘is approaching certainty’.
There have already been more than 1,700 aftershocks recorded in the wake of Thursday’s quake, and aftershocks from the new main quake could occur for years, Jones said.
However, the quake was unlikely to affect fault lines outside of the area, she said, noting that the gigantic San Andreas Fault was far away.
A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California on Friday night, just one day after the region was rocked by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Food is seen strewn across the floor at a Walmart in Yucca Valley, California
Smoke billows from a fire that broke out behind the Casa Corona restaurant following an earthquake in Ridgecrest on Friday
The fire may have been caused by a gas leak, a frequent phenomenon during earthquakes. Local fire and police officials said they were initially swamped by calls for medical and ambulance service but the damage wasn’t too extensive
Two news anchors for the local CBS affiliate in Los Angeles – Juan Fernandez and Sara Donchey – were filmed live on the air as the earthquake hit, sending them into a panic
Evan Rosenfeld
✔@Evan_Rosenfeld
USGS has revised this evening’s Southern California earthquake to a 6.9 magnitude
Evan Rosenfeld
✔@Evan_Rosenfeld
WATCH: @CBSLA anchors seek shelter under desk during live broadcast when 6.9 magnitude Southern California earthquake strikes
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake’s epicenter was 11 miles from Ridge crest, according to the United States Geological Survey
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