Powerful earthquake rattles communities in California

A POWERFUL offshore earthquake rattled communities in far northern California, cutting power to thousands of customers, causing minor damage to homes and businesses and forcing many people to seek treatment for cuts and bruises from falling debris.

The 6.5 magnitude temblor hit at about 4.27pm PST Saturday (12.27am GMT) and was centred in the Pacific about 35 kilometres west of Ferndale, but was felt as far south as Capitola in central California and as far north as central Oregon, the US Geological Survey said.

In Eureka, 386 kilometres north of San Francisco, residents of an apartment building were evacuated, and an office building and two other commercial structures were declared unsafe for occupancy, according to Humboldt County spokesman Phil Smith-Hanes.