6.7 Earthquake Hits Tri-Border Area Near Rajin, N. Korea

No word on damage or injuries in the area yet, but 6.7 is a pretty big quake. In 1994, an earthquake of equal magnitude centered at Northridge, California, killed 72 people and injured 9,000 more.

Though area residents said they did not feel the quake, office towers in Beijing — about 770 miles (1,240 kilometers) away from the epicenter — swayed slightly for about a minute.

The quake occurred 335 miles (540 kilometers) below the earth’s surface.

With earthquakes centered deep underground, sometimes those close to the epicenter don’t feel it while people further away notice some shaking, said the duty officer at the Seismological Bureau of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in northeast China’s Jilin province. He refused to give his name as is common among Chinese officials. [AP]

Hopefully, that means everyone is OK. See also.