A UN Security Council session was interrupted on Friday after the world body’s headquarters in New York began to shake. The culprit was an earthquake under neighboring New Jersey, felt dozens of kilometers away.
Residents of New York City and the surrounding areas took to social media in alarm as the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.
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Initial reports spoke of a 5.5-magnitude quake near North Plainfield, New Jersey, which could be felt as far away as Pennsylvania. However, the US Geological Survey (USGS) later said the magnitude was just 4.8 and the epicenter was under Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, 30km further to the west.
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There have been no reports of injuries or property damage so far.
The northeastern US is not known for earthquakes, as it is far from any documented fault lines. The largest known quake in the New York City area was approximately 5.2 in magnitude and was recorded in 1884.