Midwest quake rattles buildings in Chicago

CHICAGO, April 18 (UPI) -- A moderate earthquake rattled buildings in the Chicago area early Friday, authorities said.

Officials said there were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The quake was centered near Mount Carmel, Ill., about 300 miles from Chicago at the Illinois-Indiana state line, officials said.

The tremors could be felt in downtown Chicago at the Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue for about 20 seconds beginning around 4:40 a.m., authorities said. Numerous people in the Chicago area reported being awakened by rattling windows and moving furniture.

The quake, measuring 5.4 on the Richter Scale, occurred in the Illinois basin-Ozark dome region that includes parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas, stretching from Indianapolis and St. Louis to Memphis, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site.

A quake of that magnitude can be felt as far as 300 miles from where it occurred, sometimes causing damage as far away as 25 miles, officials said.