Oklahoma hit by earthquake

RESIDENTS in Oklahoma were left shaken by the state’s strongest ever earthquake and aftershock.

Saturday night’s magnitude 5.6 earthquake was centred near Sparks, 70 km north east of Oklahoma City. It was followed early yesterday by a 4.0 aftershock.

Sparks resident Jesse Richards says the big earthquake shook for as much as a minute. His wife ran outside because she was afraid the house would collapse.

Oklahoma had more than 1,000 earthquakes last year. Most were small.