San Francisco: A massive earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale hit Southern California, a day after a 6.4-magnitude temblor hit the US state which was the strongest in 20 years, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The USGS said that the epicenter of the quake that hit the state at 8.19 p.m. on Friday was near Ridgercrest, a city of around 30,000 residents located 272 km north of Los Angeles.
Thursday's quake jolted a remote area in California's Searles Valley. It produced more than 1,400 aftershocks, scientists said.
According to the US media, multiple fires and injuries were reported in Ridgecrest following Friday's quake.