4.8-magnitude earthquake hits southern China, felt in Hong Kong
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Thousands of people in Hong Kong contacted city authorities Friday, Feb 22, 2013, saying they had felt the ground shaking following an earthquake across the border in southern China, an official said. -- SCREENGRAB: WWW.HKO.GOV.HK
HONG KONG (AFP) - Thousands of people in Hong Kong contacted city authorities Friday saying they had felt the ground shaking following an earthquake across the border in southern China, an official said.
While earthquakes are not uncommon in China it is unusual for them to be felt in the southern financial hub.
The Hong Kong Observatory said the 4.8-magnitude quake struck in Guangdong province shortly before noon about 180 kilometres north of the city.
"People felt it indoors and they reported hanging objects swinging. It lasted for a few seconds," the Observatory's scientific officer Leung Yin-kong said.
