Earthquake strikes in English Channel

Buildings shook on the south coast of England on Thursday after an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9 struck in the middle of the English Channel, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said. Residents in parts of West Sussex reported feeling the quake for a few seconds but there were no reports of injuries or damage. The quake struck at 7.59 BST about 80km south-east of Portsmouth, Hampshire, and had a depth of 10km, the BGS said. David Kerridge, from the BGS, said it had been the largest earthquake in the area since a magnitude 4.5 event in 1734. "Historically, there have been two other significant events nearby -- a magnitude 5.0 earthquake in 1878 and a magnitude 4.3 earthquake in 1750," he said. "In the UK, we experience a earthquake of this magnitude approximately every two years." Several residents in Worthing, West Sussex, are reported to have felt the quake, with one worker saying it felt like a "big lorry had gone by in a hurry". Police and coastguards in the area said they had not been called to any incidents related to the tremor.