Magnitude 6.4 quake kills two in California

California: An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit Northern California Tuesday that killed at least two people, while 12 sustained the injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said, “The quake jolted at a depth of 10 miles just after 2:30 a.m. near Eureka in Humboldt County,”

Two people including an infant of three died owing to quake, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal told media adding that they were not given the appropriate medical facility on time.

Honsal said: “The small city of Rio Dell, populated around 3,300, was among the communities to have been hit hardest by the quake and the dozens of aftershocks that followed”.

The city was expected to suffer water shortage for a day or two. Over 30 homes have been damaged while 15 of them have been ‘red tagged’ as determined to be uninhabitable, Rio Dell City Manager Kyle Knopp told media.

"Other areas had been hit significantly but Rio Dell had faced the worst,” he added.

According to Pacific Gas and Electric, at least 60,000 homes and businesses were without power since 3:39pm throughout the region.

The authorities have setup charging stations for residents to charge their phones, computers and medical equipment throughout the city.

Police officials have also warned shopkeepers to be alert as there have been thefts reports to business.

Several people of social media posted that they woke up by the MyShake earthquake warning app installed on their cellphones.

The officials have warned residents across Humboldt County to be prepared for another quake.

Cynthia Pridmore, a senior engineering geologist with the California Geological Survey stated, “There is a 13% chance that another powerful jolt, of magnitude 5.0 or stronger, will strike in the next week, therefore residents should gather food, water, flashlights and other supplies”.

Last year, an earthquake of 6.2 magnitude struck offshore in the Cape Mendocino area of Northern California. No major injuries or damage were reported. It struck at a depth of 5.6 miles in the Pacific Ocean, about 24 miles west of the small community of Petrolia.