Aftershocks Include 2 of Magnitude 5.1

BAKER, Calif. — A swarm of moderate aftershocks from last week’s Hector Mine earthquake, including two that reached magnitude 5.1, shook the Mojave Desert on Wednesday evening.

There were no reports of damage or injury in the sparsely populated area 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

The 35-minute flurry of seismic activity began at 6:25 p.m. with a 4.3-magnitude temblor that was centered about 30 miles from Baker, said Kate Hutton, a Caltech seismologist.

It was followed within half an hour by a 4.5-magnitude quake and a 5.1 temblor that struck the same area about the same time.

A fourth quake, also registering 5.1, hit minutes before 7 p.m.

All of the quakes struck south-southwest of Baker in the northern end of the aftershock zone created by Saturday’s 7.1-magnitude earthquake, Hutton said.