UK earthquake: 3.3-magnitude tremor hits Leighton Buzzard

A “dramatic” 3.3-magnitude earthquake has hit parts of England, shaking buildings and forcing schools to evacuate children.

The 3.3-magnitude tremor struck the Bedfordshire area at 9.45am on Tuesday, according to the British Geological Survey (BGS).

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People reported being stopped in their tracks by the earthquake in Leighton Buzzard, as well as Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire and across southeast England. Some felt buildings shake and children were briefly led out of some schools by teachers.

“The quake itself felt like an explosion. I was in a store room and was terrified what I’d find when as I walked out. I was shocked there was no flames or plumes of smoke,” Emily Goddard told The Independent

“The shaking lasted no more than a second in Leighton Buzzard so thought it couldn’t be an earthquake as I thought that would last longer.”

The BGS said the tremor’s epicentre was just northwest of Leighton Buzzard at a depth of 10km.

It received reports from members of the public describing the quake as “like a convey of HGVs driving past my front door at great speed”, with others saying “the house had one dramatic shake”, and it “felt like whole house was shaking”.

There were no initial reports of damage or injuries.

Bedfordshire Police said in a tweet: "Our control room are currently experiencing a large number of calls due to an earthquake which was felt across the county. We have currently received no reports of any injuries or major structural damage.

Dave Smith, control station commander at Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said staff had been “busy fielding 999s from concerned callers” but there “no reports of injuries so far”.