A 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit southern California near the Searles Valley in San Bernardino County, northeast of Los Angeles county, at about 10.33am on Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The earthquake, located in a sparsely populated portion of the Mojave Desert, is reported to have lasted several seconds. Residents, who live as far away as Los Angeles reported feeling the tremor.

There were no injuries reported in San Bernardino County but buildings and roads suffered damage, local media reported quoting fire department officials.

The Los Angeles Police Department said on its official Twitter account that it had not received any reports of damage or calls for service.

The Los Angeles International Airport also said that no runways were damaged and the airport was operating as normal.