Few minor injuries reported from S California quake

LOS ANGELES, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A magnitude-5.4 earthquake, which shook Southern California on Tuesday, has left some scattered minor damage and a few minor injuries, authorities said.

There have been reports of five minor injuries in Los Angeles and scattered minor infrastructure damage, Los Angeles Acting mayor Wendy Greuel said.

Meanwhile, California's Office of Emergency Services reported broken water mains and gas lines, but freeway traffic appeared normal.

The 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. local time and was centered 29miles (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.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power 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-5.4 earthquake, operations at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and other airports appeared to be normal. She said flight operations were unaffected.