Earthquake jolts Los Angeles area

LOS ANGELES -- An earthquake shook the greater Los Angeles area Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.2 and was centered about one mile southeast of West Hollywood, said Lucy Jones of the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake was felt in downtown Los Angeles where it rolled for about four seconds and also shook in the suburban areas of Van Nuys, Whittier and Glendale.

The quake struck at 4:59 p.m. and was followed by another temblor of magnitude 2.8 that struck at 5:01 p.m. The second quake was centered nine miles west of downtown Los Angeles in the Beverly Hills area, according to a preliminary report from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Officials with the county and city fire departments said there were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

The quake was felt as far away as Lancaster, which is about 70 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

"It is the type that would rattle dishes, knock dishes out of shells and things of this nature. But as far as damage to buildings, I don't think we'll have significant damage to any buildings or ruptured pipes or anything like this as a result of this particular earthquake," said city fire department spokesman Jim Wells.

The 1994 Northridge earthquake was the last major temblor to strike in the Los Angeles area. The 6.7 magnitude quake killed 72 people and caused $25 billion in damage.

The temblor that struck Sunday had a depth of 2.3 miles and was the first 4.0-plus quake in the Los Angeles basin since the Northridge quake, Jones said.