27/02/2008

Earthquake Strikes England

Large parts of England were struck by an earthquake last night, the largest to hit the country in 25 years.

The tremors from the 10-second quake, which measured 5.2 on the Richter Scale, was felt in Newcastle, Yorkshire, London, Manchester, the Midlands and Norfolk and parts of Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The quake, which struck shortly before 1am on Wednesday morning, mainly caused damage to buildings. However, a man in South Yorkshire suffered a broken pelvis when a chimney collapsed and fell through his bedroom roof.

According to the British Geological Survey, the epicentre of the quake was near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire.

The quake was the largest recorded since 1984, when a quake measuring 5.4 on the Richter Scale struck Wales. Seismologist Dr Brian Baptie from the British Geological Survey said: "This is a signifigant earthquake for the UK and will have been widely felt across England and Wales."

The Association of British Insurers has warned that the earthquake has caused millions of pounds worth of damage to businesses and households.

(KMcA)


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