California earthquake: Larger 7.1 magnitude quake hits
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has rattled parts of Southern California, the biggest tremor to strike in 20 years, BBC reported. It struck at the shallow depth of 0.9km (0.6 miles) and its epicentre was near the city of Ridgecrest, about 240km north-east of Los Angeles.
The earthquake was felt as far away as Las Vegas in the neighbouring state of Nevada and over the border in Mexico.
California Governor Gavin Newsom offered his "heartfelt support" to all those affected, and has requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration and federal aid to help.
As the updated reports suggest, fires have broken out and emergency services are responding to calls across the state after the quake.