At least two dead after earthquake in California
The 6.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred overnight from Monday to Tuesday caused the death of at least two people, according to the first assessment of the American authorities.
The earthquake detected offshore experienced multiple aftershocks.
USGS/Screenshot
At least two people died on Tuesday in northern California after a powerful earthquake off the US coast caused landslides and knocked out power to tens of thousands of people. The magnitude 6.4 earthquake happened overnight about 40 kilometers southwest of the port city of Eureka in Humboldt County, according to the United States Institute of Geophysics (USGS). .
In this area located more than four hours drive from San Francisco, “two people died in medical emergencies that occurred during and / or just after the earthquake,” said the county in a press release, without further details. Eleven people were also injured, according to the county.
74,000 homes and businesses without electricity
The tremor also caused significant material damage and more than 74,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity at midday, according to the specialized site PowerOutage. “Damage assessment is ongoing,” but the quake has already inflicted “significant damage,” including to gas and water lines in the area, according to the local sheriff’s office. The quake cracked a road leading to the small town of Fernbridge, according to photos posted to Twitter by Dania Romero, a reporter for local KAEF television.
Several photos and videos on social media show the windows of houses shattered, objects toppled by the shaking, and a supermarket shelf littered with products falling from the shelves. Rockfalls and small rockfalls also occurred along a highway that connects Humboldt County to central California.
This western American state is regularly shaken by earthquakes. According to seismologists, it is almost certain that an earthquake capable of causing widespread destruction will hit California within the next 30 years. In 1994, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in Northridge, northwest of Los Angeles, killed at least 60 people and caused damage estimated at $10 billion. In 1989, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in San Francisco claimed the lives of 67 people.
AFP
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