SAN FRANSISCO, UNITED STATES — A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern California early Tuesday but there was no tsunami threat, seismologists said.
The relatively shallow quake hit 25 miles (40 kilometres) southwest of the port city of Eureka, the US Geological Survey said.
In a preliminary assessment, the USGS said there was a low likelihood of casualties but some damage was possible.
The National Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami was not expected.
California is regularly shaken by tremors and seismologists say a quake capable of causing widespread destruction is almost certain to hit the state in the next 30 years.
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake in 1994 in Northridge, northwest of Los Angeles, left at least 60 people dead and caused an estimated $10 billion in damage, while a 6.9 quake in San Francisco in 1989 claimed the lives of 67 people.
— AFP
