A magnitude-5.4 earthquake shook Los Angeles and surrounding areas in Southern California on Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage.
Personnel from the California Water Services work on a leaking water main at the intersection of City Terrace Drive and Eastern Avenue in East Los Angeles, July 29, 2008, after a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit the Los Angeles, California area at 11:42 a.m. local time (1842 GMT). (Reuters Photo)
The quake temblor shook buildings from Los Angeles to San Diego, more than 60 kilometers (about 100 kilometers) south of Los Angeles, and could be felt as far away as Las Vegas, a desert city about 280 miles (448 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, according to local broadcast reports.
The temblor struck at 11:42 a.m. and was centered 29 miles (about 46 kilometers) southeast of downtown Los Angeles near the San Bernardino County city of Chino Hills, and was estimated to be about 8 miles (12.8 kilometers) below the earth's surface.
The quake was initially estimated at magnitude-5.8 by the U.S. Geological Survey but was revised downward to 5.4. More than a dozen aftershocks quickly followed, the largest estimated at magnitude-3.8.
Buildings in downtown Los Angeles swayed for several seconds, prompting people to spill into the streets for safety.
"It was dramatic. The whole building moved and it lasted for a while," said Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.
