Earthquake shakes homes in north-west England

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake rattled homes in north-west England on Wednesday night, the British Geological Survey (BGS) reported.

The tremor, which struck shortly after 23:23, was felt across Lancashire and the southern Lake District, including the towns of Kendal and Ulverston, within 12 miles of the epicentre.

The quake occurred just off the coast of Silverdale, Lancashire at a depth of 1.86 miles, data suggested. There were no immediate reports of damage.

Residents told the BGS it “felt like an underground explosion” and was “so powerful it shook the whole house”.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said “many residents felt or heard a loud bang” in the area of Carnforth, 18 miles north of Lancaster.

Lancaster police also said it had received reports of a “loud explosion” in the area.

The force said there had been a “minor earthquake in the area, near to the Lancashire and Cumbria border, measuring 3.3 magnitude”.

It added: “There have been no reports of anyone injured or damage caused but we have officers in the area, together with colleagues from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and the North West Ambulance Service.”

The Volcano Discovery website said it had received more than 1,000 reports about the earthquake, with some as far away as Blackpool

On Carnforth resident posted on the site: “Heard a rumbling sound which intensified in to a loud bang. Thought my roof was collapsing or something! Very scary.”

Another, in Silverdale, posted: “Loud rumble and rattling of fixtures in house, as though something had collapsed or the chimney had fallen off. Significant enough to go outside to check.”

BGS detects about 300 earthquakes every year in the UK, but only about a tenth of these are felt or heard by people.