A strong 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck near Cushing, Oklahoma, on Sunday (7 November), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.
Though there were no reports of injuries, several buildings were damaged said Cushing Fire Department as reported by ABC News. People in Tulsa said that they felt a strong jolt from the earthquake that centered 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Cushing, a small city about 50 miles west of Tulsa.
It was reported that the quake is one of the strong tremors that is felt in Oklahoma recently. The quake is also suspected to be part of a flurry of seismic activity linked to energy production by experts. This recent production work has become an increasing concern among the people of the region because of its negative impacts.
According to reports, scientists believe that some earthquakes in the region are occurring due to extensive oil and gas work underground which, according to them, alter pressure points and cause shifts in the earth.
The epicentre of the earthquake, Cushing, is the hub for crude oil shipments and have intersecting pipelines.
Prior to this strong earthquake, two smaller earthquakes of 3.1 magnitude and 3.6 magnitude respectively, shook the Perry and Oklahoma areas on Sunday, according to Straits Times.
In September, a massive earthquake of 5.6 magnitude shook the Oklahoma region. A state of emergency was declared after the tremors were felt as far as Chicago.
