The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A District of Columbia fire department spokesman says there are numerous injuries as a result of an earthquake that struck near the nation's capital, but so far there are no reports of serious injuries or deaths.

DC Fire and EMS spokesman Pete Piringer says numerous buildings have been damaged, including the Ecuadorian embassy and a handful of schools.

He says thousands of people are milling about downtown after evacuating their buildings. He says that if a building has not sustained structural damage, the safest thing to do is to shelter in place.