Seattle struck by major earthquake

An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit an area about 55 kilometers southwest of Seattle Wednesday, leaving at least 250 people injured and causing at least $1 billion in property damage.

Washington State Governor Gary Locke immediately declared a state of emergency and requested support from the Federal Disaster Management Office. There was no information on how many died in the quake, but the number of injured and property damage estimates were expected to rise. An aftershock with a magnitude of 3.4 occurred Thursday morning.

The quake damaged many buildings and roads, including the No. 99 expressway that passes through the center of Seattle, while cutting electricity to about 20,000 homes and businesses around the earthquake epicenter. Buildings and facilities owned by Seattle-based enterprises like Microsoft and Boeing were among those damaged.