A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck West Texas late Saturday, part of a series of tremors that have struck an area near the Texas-New Mexico border, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The quake struck at 7:47 p.m. local time, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Whites City, New Mexico, the USGS said. The area is about halfway between the Texas cities of Midland and El Paso.
The quake struck nearly 3 miles (5 kilometers) below the surface, the report said.
Because the region is sparsely populated, few residents were affected, the USGS said.
The quake was part of a swarm of 46 mostly minor earthquakes in the area since early April, the USGS said. There is a 65 percent chance of a major aftershock within a week, it said.
NBC affiliate KTSM in El Paso, more than 100 kilometers west of the area, reported that the 5.3 magnitude earthquake was the strongest of three major earthquakes that shook the area Saturday night, including quakes of magnitude 3.4 and 2.9.
No injuries were reported.
