An earthquake hit western France early this morning, with tremors felt up and down the country.
The 5.1 magnitude quake took place at 6.50am local time (5.50am UK time) near the small central-western town of Bressuire.
But a swathe of French cities, including Normandy in the north and Bordeaux in the south, reported feeling its effects.
National civil security service spokesman Col. Michael Bernier said the tremors had sparked concern in several regions because "so many people” felt them.
So far there have been no reports of damage following the moderate earthquake, but a tremor of its magnitude is relatively rare in the country.
France is home to many historic buildings which are not designed to withstand strong seismic activity.
One French resident between the towns of Chef Boutonne and Melle – over 50 miles from the earthquake's epicentre – wrote on Twitter that the tremors "shook the whole house for about ten seconds".
People in other regions reported feeling the tremors two hours after the initial quake occurred.
