One man was injured when a chimney smashed through the roof of his bedroom in South Yorkshire.
Insurance firms said they are bracing themselves for a payout of up to $60 million — twice the cost of Britain's last earthquake in Folkestone, Kent, last April.
Julian Bukits of the British Geological Survey told the Associated Press that it was the most powerful quake in Britain since a 5.4 temblor hit North Wales in 1984.
The epicenter of Wednesday's tremor, which registered a magnitude of 5.3, was centered beneath the village of Holton cum Beckering, about 125 miles (200 km) north of London.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake occurred 6 miles (10 km) below the surface at 12:56 a.m. local time.
