Unexpected earthquake shakes thousands in England

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake struck north-west England late on Wednesday night, waking up thousands of residents across Lancashire and the southern Lake District.

The tremor, recorded shortly after 11:23 pm, was felt in towns including Kendal and Ulverston, with the epicentre located just off the coast near Silverdale, Lancashire, at a shallow depth of about 1.86 miles.

Many residents described the quake as feeling “like an underground explosion,” with some reporting their houses shook so violently they thought something heavy had dumped nearby. The event triggered more than 1,100 reports to a quake-reporting website, most describing “light” or “weak” shaking.

Local emergency services said they received calls from people who heard a loud bang or felt shaking, particularly around Carnforth, about 18 miles north of Lancaster. Despite the scare, authorities confirmed there have been no reports of injuries or damage. Officers from police, fire, and ambulance services remain on alert in the affected area as a precaution.

According to the British Geological Survey (BGS), the United Kingdom experiences between 200 and 300 earthquakes every year, but only about 20 to 30 are strong enough to be felt by people.

The vast majority of tremors go unnoticed, recorded only by sensitive instruments.