3.3 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes North-West England, Startles Residents

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake caused tremors across north-west England late Wednesday night, startling residents and prompting calls to emergency services. The seismic event, which occurred shortly after 11:23 PM, was primarily felt across Lancashire and the southern Lake District, with reports coming from towns like Kendal and Ulverston.

The epicentre of the quake is believed to be near Silverdale in Lancaster, Lancashire, approximately 12 miles from the affected areas. Data indicates the tremor originated just off the coast of Silverdale at a depth of 1.86 miles.

Millenium TV heard from local residents who described their experiences. Katrina Simmons, living in Carnforth, about 4.8 miles from the epicentre, recounted being abruptly woken by the shaking. “The shaking woke me up, I thought someone had driven into the house,” Simmons told Millenium TV. “It was about 25 to 12 and I jumped straight out of bed. I live on my own so it gave me a hell of a scare.” She only realized it was an earthquake after checking social media the following morning. Simmons also mentioned a customer hearing that emergency services were on standby, initially fearing an explosion.

Local authorities confirmed receiving numerous reports. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service noted that “many residents felt or heard a loud bang” in the Carnforth area, while Lancaster police also logged reports of a “loud explosion.” Despite the initial alarm, there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage.

Clare Hailes, a colleague of Ms. Simmons from North Lancaster, explained that the tremor was strong enough to trigger the alarm at their shop. “I know the general manager got a call in the middle of the night because it set the alarms off,” Hailes stated. “Customers have been talking about it all morning. They thought a lorry had crashed into a building or there had been a quarry explosion. No-one was expecting it to be an earthquake.”

Lancashire Police confirmed a “minor earthquake in the area, near to the Lancashire and Cumbria border, measuring 3.3 magnitude,” adding that officers, along with fire and ambulance services, were in the area. Thousands of individuals reported feeling the quake, with some accounts reaching as far as Blackpool.

One Carnforth resident described hearing “a rumbling sound which intensified in to a loud bang. Thought my roof was collapsing or something! Very scary.” Another from Silverdale mentioned “loud rumble and rattling of fixtures in house, as though something had collapsed or the chimney had fallen off. Significant enough to go outside to check.” While seismic activity is common in the UK, with around 300 earthquakes detected annually, only about a tenth are typically strong enough to be felt or heard by the public.