LONDON, England (AP) -- A moderate earthquake rattled parts of southeast England Saturday morning. There were reports of structural damage but no immediate reports of injuries.
Data from the U.S. Geological Survey said the 4.7-magnitude quake struck at 8:18 a.m. (0718 GMT) near Ashford, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of London. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre put the quake's magnitude at 5.
Witnesses said cracks appeared in walls and chimneys collapsed across the county of Kent.
Kent Police said emergency services were responding. Residents said the tremor lasted about 10-15 seconds.
"I was lying in bed and it felt as if someone had just got up from bed next to me," said Hendrick van Eck, 27, of Canterbury, 60 miles (100 kilometers) southeast of London.
"I then heard the sound of cracking, and it was getting heavier and heavier. It felt as if someone was at the end of my bed hopping up and down."
The quake's epicenter is near the entrance to the Channel Tunnel. Train operator Eurostar said its services to France and Belgium were operating normally.
There are thousands of moderate quakes on this scale around the world each year, but they are rare in Britain. The country's strongest earthquake took place in the North Sea in 1931, measuring 6.1.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/04/28/england.earthquake.ap/index.html
