Earthquake shakes central Oklahoma

Image source, Erin Stump

Image caption, The earthquake that struck Cushing on Sunday was one of 19 to hit Oklahoma in the past week

An earthquake measuring magnitude 5.0 shook central Oklahoma on Sunday, causing substantial damage to dozens of buildings.

The epicentre of the quake struck the city of Cushing, about 50 miles (80km) north-east of Oklahoma City, at 19:44 local time (01:44 GMT Monday).

Tremors were felt as far away as Texas, and schools have closed in Cushing.

Authorities in Cushing reported that at least 40 buildings were damaged. No one was seriously injured.

Photographs posted on Twitter showed debris scattered alongside commercial buildings in the city.

Image source, Erin Stump

There have been 19 earthquakes in Oklahoma in the past week, according to data provided by the US Geological Survey.

In September, a magnitude 5.6 quake in the state fuelled concerns that seismic activity in the area was connected to energy production.

In 2013, scientists linked the underground injection of oil drilling wastewater to a magnitude-5.7 earthquake that struck Oklahoma in 2011.

Cushing, which has a population of about 7,900, is home to one of the largest oil storage facilities in the US. No damage was reported there.