A powerful hit Utah in the United States, early Thursday morning (Manila time) which experts say is the strongest in a decade, Reuters reported.
The Utah Emergency Management reported that the epicenter of the 5.7-magnitude temblor is north-central Utah was the strongest since 1992, when a 5.9-magnitude hit the St. George area.
The initial damage reported included the Angel Moroni statue atop Salt Lake Temple, the Mormon Church’s largest, knocking a trumpet from the angel’s hand.
Utah has a sizeable Mormon population and holds a special place in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The state’s poison control center at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City was evacuated.
Governor Gary Herbert said they are assessing the damage. But he also announced that the coronavirus hotline was down.
A water line at the airport had flooded a concourse, but “remaining facilities have been found to be structurally safe.”
There were also reported cracks in some buildings and an oil refinery has been evacuated.
