Liechtenstein shakes as MPs debate quake insurance

Two earthquakes hit Liechtenstein just as lawmakers in the tiny Alpine principality were debating the pros and cons of quake insurance. Lawmaker Bettina Petzold-Maehr had just warned that the chances of all Liechtenstein citizens being affected by an earthquake striking the country was high when the first small temblor hit shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday.

Records by the German Research Centre for Geosciences showed a magnitude 4 earth quakes hit Liechtenstein, which is sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, Thursday afternoon. Liechtenstein police said no injuries or damage were reported, and gave a magnitude of 3.9 for the quake. Liechtenstein has a population of just fewer than 39,000 and a surface area of 62 square miles, making it slightly smaller than Washington, D.C.