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. 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. 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.