4.9 magnitude earthquake near Anza felt around Southern California

PE A magnitude 4.9 earthquake followed by a series of aftershocks hit just southeast of Anza and near Palm Springs on Friday evening.

The initial quake happened at 6:53 p.m., roughly 11 miles southeast of Anza, 23 miles southwest of Palm Springs and 16 miles southwest of La Quinta, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The jolt was followed by seven other earthquakes over the next 15 minutes, with magnitudes between 3.7to 2.5, according to the USGS.

There were no reports of damage or injuries as of 7:25 p.m., Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Robyn Flores said.

The 4.9 temblor had a depth of 6.6 miles.

The strong quake, in the area of the San Jacinto fault, was also felt in parts of Orange, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and San Diego counties, according to the USGS.

“The San Jacinto Fault, which had the (earthquake) this evening, is the most active fault in California. It has more small earthquakes every year than others,” Julian Lozos, an assistant professor of geology at Cal State Northridge, tweeted.