Magnitude 5.6 quake strikes near remote community in northern California

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck 5 kilometres south-southwest of the small community of Petrolia in northern California on Saturday evening, Reuters has quoted the US Geological Survey as saying.

The tremor was estimated to have a depth of 9.4 km (5.8 miles).

There was no immediate report of damage or casualties.

Petrolia, in Humboldt County, has an estimated population of a few hundred people, and is located 407 km north of San Francisco in a wilderness area that experiences frequent earthquake activity.