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Wales is hit by 3.8 magnitude earthquake at midnight

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck Wales at midnight on Saturday, causing houses to shake.

The quake struck eight miles north of the Rhondda Valley in the final minutes of Friday, sparking panic as locals reported their beds started to move and walls shook.

One resident near the epicentre said the quake was so noticeable ‘it felt like the roof was falling off’.

Resident Steve Pither said: ‘Made the bed shake here in the Rhondda, thought I was going nuts.’

The quake was recorded as being of a 3.8 magnitude, at a depth of one mile, the British Geological Survey said.

Earthquakes with a magnitude between 2.5 and 5.4 on the Richter scale means they are often felt by residents, but do not cause major damage.

Although the vast majority of earthquakes in the UK are extremely mild, some 200-300 tremors are felt on British soil each year.

Another local said: ‘We just had an earthquake in South Wales , first one I’ve ever felt… thought there was someone trying to break into my house.’

A third wrote: ‘We felt our whole bed move. Inexplicably. Google tells us there was an earthquake in South Wales.’

‘Our house shook in Tredegar, crazy.’

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