More than 200 earthquakes hit Britain each year, but are of such low magnitude they are rarely felt. That wasn't the case early Wednesday when a temblor rocked the island nation. Police reported some minor damage to homes but no injuries.
The British Geological Survey said it was a 5.3-magnitude quake but the U.S. Geological Survey earlier put the magnitude at 4.7. The temblor struck at about 1 a.m. and was centered about 125 miles north of London.
"It was scary," David Somerset told The Associated Press by telephone from Driffield, around 60 miles from the epicenter. He was working on the computer at the time. "It was a strange sensation as the room, ornaments and chest of drawers started wobbling and making a loud rumbling noise."
Many other people in southern, central and northern England reported feeling their homes shaken by the earthquake in a country where such tremors are uncommon.
"This is a moderate earthquake," Rafael Abreu of the U.S. Geological Survey told Sky News from the United States. He described the tremor as a shallow interplate earthquake, and said his U.S.-based group would likely adopt the 5.3-magnitude rating from his British counterparts.
The epicenter was reported to be in Market Rasen in Licolnshire, a small market town known for its racecourse. A quake of magnitude 5 is capable of causing considerable damage.
Source: Xinhua/Agencies
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