Houses damaged by 5.8 magnitude earthquake in France

One person was injured in the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck western France last night, severely damaging homes.

Christophe Bechu, French Minister of Ecological Transformation, said in a statement on his Twitter account that a magnitude 5.8 earthquake was registered yesterday in the west of the country. Bechu stated that this was one of the largest earthquakes recorded in France and 1 person was slightly injured.

According to local media reports, the earthquake occurred between the cities of La Rochelle and Niort. Residents of the town of La Laigne, a 30-minute drive from the city of La Rochelle, were evacuated as a precaution against the danger of their houses being demolished.

While many homes in the region cracked, 400 homes were unable to receive power.

Aftershocks of magnitude 5 and 4 were felt in the region this morning. (AA)