Magnitude 4.4 Earthquake Felt Near Los Angeles

According to BBC's report, an earthquake has been strongly felt near Los Angeles, California, rattling nerves but so far causing no major damage or injury or deaths. The 4.4-magnitude quake struck 9km (5.6 miles) from the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Westwood.It hit at 06:25 local time (13:25 GMT), US officials said.

It was the strongest earthquake in Los Angeles since the last aftershocks from the 1994 Northridge quake, a government scientist said. Dr Lucy Jones of the US Geological Survey (USGS) told the local CBS broadcaster there was a 5% chance another strong quake would strike within the next three days.
USGS seismologist Robert Graves said it was unusual for a quake of that magnitude to strike a large population centre.

"This is reminder we live in earthquake country," he said. There were no immediate reports of injuries, though many Los Angeles area residents said the quake had frightened them out of bed. "It felt like a bomb going off underneath our house," resident George McQuade told Associated Press news agency.