Light earthquake jolts San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - A light earthquake jolted San Francisco early Friday, shaking buildings and causing temporary power outages in parts of the city, officials and local media reports said.

The quake measured 4.2 on the Moment Magnitude scale and struck four kilometers northeast of Oakland, east of the San Francisco Bay Area, at 0442 am local time (1142 GMT), the United States Geological Survey said in a statement.

An AFP correspondent in the city said the quake rattled buildings and could be felt clearly.

"It was all pretty minor," A US Geological Survey spokeswoman told local media. "It didn't interrupt donut production."

The San Francisco Bay Area is densely populated, with around eight million residents.