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Minor quake rattles San Francisco

A small earthquake hit the San Francisco area on Thursday afternoon, causing a sharp jolt but no immediate signs of damages or injuries.

SAN FRANCISCO — A small earthquake hit the San Francisco area on Thursday afternoon, causing a sharp jolt but no immediate signs of damages or injuries.

The quake, with a preliminary 3.9 magnitude, was centred near Berkeley. San Francisco police and officials at University of California, Berkeley, said they had no reports of injuries or damages.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake hit two miles (3.2 kilometres) southeast of Berkeley at 2:31 p.m.

The quake was felt as a sharp jolt in the East Bay area, and across the bay in San Francisco.

The quake came almost 22 years to the day after the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the Bay Area during the 1989 World Series.

It came on the same day Californians took part in an annual earthquake preparedness drill at 10:20 a.m.