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July 8, 2019

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California communities fear aftershocks

Source: Agencies | 00:19 UTC+8 July 8, 2019 | Print Edition

HIGH desert communities in Southern California on Saturday (local time) assessed damage and braced for potentially dangerous aftershocks from a major earthquake that shook buildings, ruptured gas lines and sparked fires near the epicenter of the second temblor in as many days.

The powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked the Mojave Desert town of Ridgecrest south of Death Valley National Park as darkness fell on Friday, jolting the area with eight times more force than a 6.4-magnitude quake that struck the same area 34 hours earlier. California Governor Gavin Newsom placed the state Office of Emergency Services on its highest alert and requested federal assistance.

He told a news conference in Ridgecrest on Saturday that he had just got off a phone call with US President Donald Trump, seeking a presidential emergency declaration.

“I have full confidence that the president will be forthcoming, in immediate terms, with the formal declaration,” Newsom said, flanked by first responders.

There were several minor to moderate injuries, OES Director Mark Ghilarducci told reporters.

“No reports of any fatalities, so I think we’re very lucky there,” he said. There were reports of building fires, mostly as a result of gas leaks or gas-line breaks, Ghilarducci said.

State officials said all roads damaged by the quakes had been repaired and reopened.

Violent shaking also caused water-main breaks and knocked out power and communications to parts of Ridgecrest, home to about 27,000 people some 200km northeast of Los Angeles.

Officials warned there was sure to be a significant number of aftershocks, including possible powerful ones, and advised residents to ensure they had necessary supplies.

“I’ve said this ad nauseam: Be prepared for the worst,” said Newsom, who on Saturday met victims in the hospital and visited a hardware store where the earthquake hurled products from shelves and left ceiling tiles scattered across the aisles.

Standing outside her damaged home in Ridgecrest, lifelong resident Sierra Wood said it was heartbreaking and scary.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this,” she said. “I mean — they say that it’s happened and you’ve heard about it. But once you're in it, it’s completely different, it’s terrifying. It’s terrifying.”

Her husband, Keith Wood, said the aftershocks were grueling. “It’s like when do we get a break from it?” he said. “When is enough enough? Mother Nature has had her way. Give us a break now, OK?”

The US Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake just northwest of Ridgecrest was evacuated of all non-essential personnel. The quake now ranks as Southern California’s most powerful since a 7.1-magnitude quake that struck in the Mojave Desert in 1999.

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