STRONG EARTHQUAKE STRIKES SEATTLE AREA

A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit the area around Seattle, Washington, yesterday morning, resulting in one death, 200 injuries, and damage to roads, buildings and bridges. The one death was by heart attack, while most of the injuries resulted from falling debris. Much of the structural damage from the quake was suffered by older, brick buildings, whose falling debris damaged numerous parked vehicles. The quake led to the closure of the Seattle airport and numerous governmental buildings in the nearby state capital of Olympia. While the earthquake was the second most powerful ever recorded in the state, damages were said to be relatively light because the epicentre of the quake was 30 miles into the earth’s crust, seismologists said. Official estimates of damages are not expected for a few days. Meanwhile, New York-based Insurance Information Institute has reported that fewer than a third of homeowners in Washington state carry quake insurance. Damages to automobiles will be covered by the comprehensive portion of motor policies.