Magnitude 5.2 quake rattles U.S. Midwest

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A 5.2 magnitude earthquake centered in southeast Illinois startled residents in several central U.S. states before dawn on Friday, but media reports indicated there were no injuries and only minor damage.

The quake was centered 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Bellmont, Illinois, in the southeastern part of the state along the Indiana border and near Kentucky, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Some bricks were knocked from a building in Louisville, Kentucky. The Chicago Tribune reported on its Website that a 300-foot tower at O'Hare International Airport swayed, with one controller saying it felt like "being on the end of a fishing pole."

The quake was felt in downtown Chicago buildings, and the city fire department said that while there was no damage reported it would ask the operators of construction cranes to check that they were still firmly anchored before resuming work.

The quake struck at a shallow depth of 7.2 miles (11.5 km), according to the USGS. The agency initially said the quake had a magnitude of 5.4 but later verified it at 5.2.

A fault zone in the area where the temblor was centered has produced quakes in the past. Experts have said soil conditions in the central United States are such that shocks in the region tend to travel farther and be felt in wider areas than in places such as California where a 5.2 magnitude quake would be more quickly absorbed.