Earthquake with preliminary 4.4 magnitude strongly felt across Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – A pre-dawn earthquake rolled across the Los Angeles basin on Monday, rattling residents from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach.

The quake’s magnitude was 4.4 and it was centred 15 miles (24 kilometres) west-northwest of the downtown civic centre, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Los Angeles police and fire officials said there were no immediate reports of damage.

“It felt like a bomb going off underneath our house,” said George McQuade, a West Hills resident. “Nothing was damaged, but it sure woke everyone up. It was an eye-opener.”

The 6:25 a.m. (1325 GMT) quake occurred at a depth of about 5 miles (8 kilometres).