5.2 magnitude earthquake rattles city of San Diego in US state of California

HOUSTON, United States

A 5.2 magnitude earthquake rattled the city of San Diego on Monday, with aftershocks felt throughout southern California.

The US Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake was near the city of Julian, 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) northeast of San Diego, at a depth of roughly 8 miles (12.9 kilometers).

Greg Allen, a tourist visiting San Diego, told ABC News that the building he was in “rocked for a long time.”

“Everything was moving, the blinds and everything,” said Allen. “Then we heard people going down the stairs. And since we’re from out of town, we figured we should probably leave the building also.”

Seismologists said the large tremor struck along the Elsinore Fault Zone and was preceded on Sunday by a 3.3 foreshock. The Elsinore Fault is considered a little sister to the widely known San Andreas Fault and experiences a 4.0 magnitude quake about once a year.

Several aftershocks were reported in the wake of the 5.2 quake and could be felt as far north as Los Angeles, 120 miles (193 kilometers) from the epicenter.

“Our @LAFD is in earthquake mode and has (been) activated to conduct its routine survey of the city to assess for any damages,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted on X.

No damages or casualties have been reported, but California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the earthquake and is monitoring the situation.

“The state is coordinating with local authorities to assess any damage and if emergency response is needed,” the governor’s office said in a post on X.

Experts said thousands of earthquakes are recorded in California every year, but most of them are considered minor. Several hundred tremors reach a magnitude of 3.0, and only about 15 to 20 quakes reach a magnitude of 4.0 or greater, according to the US Geological Survey.

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