M7.1 earthquake hits southern California

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake hit southern California on Friday night local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake happened at around 0320GMT. The epicenter is near Ridgecrest, a city located 272 kilometers north of Los Angeles downtown.

Many residents said they felt the strong quake. No immediate casualties reported yet.

The latest quake is an ongoing earthquake sequence which follows a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in the same area the day before, said USGS official at a press conference.

At least 1,700 aftershocks have been recorded since Thursday.

(CGTN)