4.4 magnitude earthquake rattles Los Angeles, no damage reports

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck Los Angeles early Monday morning, but there were no reports of major damage or injuries, officials said.

The quake, which was swiftly downgraded from an initial magnitude of 4.7, hit a few miles northwest of Westwood at a depth of 8.5 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The shaking was felt as far away as Orange County to the south and Palmdale to the east, but authorities said they had received no reports of damage or injury and no water main breaks or power outages.

Some commuter trains were halted while crews inspected the tracks for damage.

“While it appears the greatest impact of this temblor was a rude awakening, we are executing our post-earthquake protocols to survey our neighborhoods and critical infrastructure,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement.

“As a precaution, personnel from all 106 fire stations have deployed into their local communities to survey the neighborhood and critical infrastructure such as hospitals and communications facilities,” Garcetti said.

Agencies/Canadajournal