3.3 Magnitude Quake Strikes Lancashire Coast

A 3.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Silverdale in Lancashire, northwest England, late on Wednesday, December 3, jolting residents awake with reports of a loud explosion and shaking buildings across the region.

The British Geological Survey confirmed the tremor occurred at 11:23 p.m., with its epicenter located near Carnforth, close to the border with Cumbria, at a depth of about 1.86 miles. The quake was felt widely within 20 kilometers of the epicenter, including in Carnforth, Morecambe, Heysham, Burton-in-Kendal, Arnside, Kendal, and Ulverston in the southern Lake District. Additional reports reached authorities from as far south as Blackpool and Cleveleys, and north to Kendal, though the shaking was described as light to weak in most accounts.

Lancashire Police received numerous calls about a "loud explosion" in the Carnforth area around the same time. A police spokesperson stated, "There has been a minor earthquake in the area, near to the Lancashire and Cumbria border, measuring 3.3 magnitude. There have been no reports of anyone injured or damage caused but we have officers in the area, together with colleagues from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and...