Baja California Earthquake Rattles Coast

An earthquake registering 6.9 on the Richter Scale shook Baja, California late Monday morning and could be felt in the San Diego area, prompting the evacuation of a downtown office tower.

The quake struck approximately 360 miles south of the California border, according to the USGS earthquake center.  Local news reports showed office workers milling around outside of San Diego high-rise buildings and other reports stated that people had left City Hall.

The earthquake hit at around 11am PDT (2pm EDT) in the Gulf of California, about 49 miles from Santa Isabel. There was no immediate word of damage or injuries.

There were also several moderate earthquakes in the same part of the Gulf of California before the 6.9 quake occurred.  USGS Officials said this could be a "quake swarm".  A 5.8 earthquake hit just before the 6.9 temblor, and a 5.0 and 5.9 hit afterward.

Officials have not issued a tsumani warning.  Preliminary estimates put the earthquake's epicenter about 4.5 miles underground.

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