Magnitude-5.3 earthquake among three to shake remote West Texas

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck West Texas on Saturday night, part of a swarm of earthquakes to rock the area near the Texas border with New Mexico, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The temblor struck at 7:47 p.m. about 35 miles south of Whites City, New Mexico, the USGS said. The area is roughly midway between the Texas cities of Midland and El Paso.

The quake occurred nearly 4 miles beneath the earth’s surface, the survey said.

Because the region has a sparse population, few residents were affected, the USGS said. Ground failure and landslides were unlikely, as was liquifaction, when soil behaves like a fluid, it said.

The temblor was part of a swarm of 46 mostly small earthquakes in the area since early April, USGS data indicates. There’s a 65% chance of a strong aftershock with a week, it said.

NBC affiliate KTSM of El Paso, more than 100 miles west of the area, reported the 5.3 temblor was the strongest of three stronger-than-usual earthquakes to rock the area Saturday night, which also included magnitude 3.4 and 2.9 quakes.

The survey’s “Did You Feel It” list shows responses from the Texas cities of Arlington, Midland, Lubbock and more.

No injuries were reported.