Oklahoma rattled by shallow 5.1 magnitude earthquake

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook an area near Oklahoma City late Friday night, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The earthquake hit at 11:24 p.m. and was centered 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) northwest of Prague, Oklahoma, the agency said.

Prague is about 57 miles (92 kilometers) east of Oklahoma City, where residents reported feeling the shaking. Shawnee, Stillwater and Tecumseh residents also felt the earthquake, KFOR-TV reported.

The earthquake was shallow — just 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) deep, according to the USGS — and temblors that hit close to the surface can make the shaking more intense.

At least six earthquakes, including two greater than magnitude 4.0, were recorded near another Oklahoma City suburb in January. In April, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was among a series of six that struck the central Oklahoma town of Carney, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City.