Earthquake hit UK

O.G · #1 (**permalink**) 27-02-2008, 08:35 PM

An earthquake that struck the UK overnight is likely to have caused millions of pounds worth of damage.

The tremor, which hit at around 1am, was measured at 5.2 on the Richter scale.

Its epicentre was near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, but it was felt as far away as Dumfries in Scotland and Swansea in South Wales.

The Association of British Insurers said the cost of damage to homes and property is likely to be in excess of £10 million.

The only confirmed injury has been that of 19-year-old student David Bates in Wombwell, South Yorkshire. He was watching TV when a chunk of masonry fell from a chimney stack into his room.

Mr Bates was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured pelvis.

His father said: "Of all the things that can happen - an earthquake. I could not believe it but when I think about it, it could have been worse."

In a separate incident, an ambulance was called out to a 31-year-old pregnant woman in Birmingham who had suffered a panic attack as a result of the quake.

Emergency services across the UK received calls from people who were frightened when they were woken up to find their home shaking.

Seismologist Brian Baptie of the British Geological Survey (BGS) said: "This is a significant earthquake for the UK and will have been widely felt across England and Wales."

The BGS said it records around 200 earthquakes in the UK each year - an eighth of which can be felt by residents.

Today's quake is the largest since 1984 when one measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale shook the Lleyn Peninsula of North Wales.

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service dealt with around 200 calls about the earthquake overnight but said they were still dealing with incidents this morning.

A spokesman said: "We've still got some active incidents as daylight has come and people have seen the damage.

"People are waking up and going to work and finding bits have been displaced on chimney stacks or garden walls."

Most of the incidents crews responded to overnight involved collapsed chimneys and dangerous roofs.

Felt the tremor myself... lol