Magnitude 5.9 earthquake strikes California-Nevada border California

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An earthquake with an initial magnitude of 5.9 struck the California-Nevada border Thursday afternoon, with people reporting feeling the shaking hundreds of miles away, according to the US Geological Survey.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The earthquake occurred at 3.49 pm local time in an area about 250 miles (402 km) east of San Francisco and south of Lake Tahoe. The epicenter was four miles (6.5 kilometers) west-southwest of Walker, California. The US Geological Survey said the quake was followed by 12 aftershocks, at least one with a magnitude of 4.6.

Sally Rosen, who owns a popular burger restaurant in Walker, near the epicenter, said her two-year-old was napping in her arms at her home behind the restaurant when the earthquake struck.

“We felt the building shake, we didn’t quite know what it was at first,” she told KGO-TV in San Francisco. “It went on, and it was intense and scary, honestly. So we ran out of the house as fast as we could and ran into the restaurant because the first thought was, ‘Oh my God, we need to turn off the gas.

She said cups and other things flew off the shelves and oil splattered from fryers.

Communities throughout Lake Tahoe and as far south as Fresno, California, felt the earthquake, which was six miles (9.8 kilometers) deep.

The state Department of Transportation said US 395, a major route through the northern Sierra Nevada, was closed due to rockslides. The closure extended about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from near the small community of Willow Springs in Mono County north to the Nevada border. “People in the area should expect aftershocks for days after an earthquake of this magnitude,” said Jason Balman of the University of Southern California’s Southern California Seismic Center. “We’ve already seen a very strong series of aftershocks.”

Balmain cautioned that reports of damage or injury may not be available for days because much of the shaking was felt in the outback.

“Although there have been no initial reports of damage or injuries, this is a rapidly developing situation and more details will emerge in the coming hours.” The California Office of Emergency Services tweeted. “We are working closely with local officials to ensure they have the resources and support to respond quickly to these earthquakes.”

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