Third earthquake in four days shakes Bay area

updated 1:20 p.m. ET Dec. 23, 2006

BERKELEY, Calif. - A third small earthquake in four days rattled the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of injury or damage.

The temblor that struck at 9:21 a.m. had a preliminary magnitude of 3.5 and a depth of about 6.1 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The epicenter was about 2 miles from Berkeley and 3 miles from Emeryville, across the bay from San Francisco.

Residents throughout the Bay Area reported feeling the jolt, but police said there were no reports of injuries.

The latest earthquake was similar in magnitude and location to those that struck Wednesday and Friday.

The three quakes erupted along the Hayward Fault, which geologists believe is due for a quake in the potentially lethal 6.7 to 7.0 range.

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