Strong earthquake shakes Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, July 29 (Xinhua) -- 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.

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.

There were no reports of any damage or injuries as a result of the quake, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also said there were no electrical outages reported in the city in connection with the quake.

Nancy Castles of Los Angeles World Airports said that after initial inspections in the wake of the magnitude-5.8 earthquake, operations at the Los Angeles International Airport and other airports appeared to be normal. She said flight operations were unaffected.

California Governor's Office of Emergency Services had received no damage or injury reports, said spokesman Kelly Huston in Sacramento, the state's capital.