On Friday (5 April), the New York City region and Myanmar experienced strong earthquakes of magnitude 4.8 and 5.8 respectively.
While no major damage or injuries occurred, residents felt the seismic activity with buildings shaking.
As for the earthquake that occurred in Myanmar, it struck the country at a depth of 10km.
Reuters reports that the earthquake struck near New York City on the morning of 5 April, just after 10.20 am Eastern Time (ET) at a depth of 4.7km.
Source: CNN
The quake’s epicenter was in New Jersey’s Tewksbury, 64km west of New York City.
A small aftershock with a magnitude of 4.0 occurred later in the day at around 5.59pm, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. Reports of at least five more aftershocks also surfaced, according to BBC News.
USGS said no major damage was reported, with engineering teams now conducting inspections of roads and bridges as well.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that there were no injuries reported.
Source: CNN
However, he urged residents to take cover in case of aftershocks. They can do so under furniture, in a doorway or next to an interior wall.
“New Yorkers should go about their normal day,” he added.
At a news conference, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, “This is one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast in the last century.”
She added that officials had begun a damage assessment across the state to check on the safety of the infrastructure.
“It’s been an unsettling day, to say the least,” the governor noted.
Footage of the quake circulated on social media, showing buildings, including the Statue of Liberty, shaking during the event.
Source: @EarthCam on X
The mayor of Lebanon, New Jersey, James Pittinger, who was near the quake’s epicenter, shared that there were no reports of injuries or significant damage. However, he noted that people felt unnerved.
Source: NBC News
“I was sitting in my home office when things started to fall off the walls and shelves,” Pittinger said. “It was a crazy experience.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy confirmed that his state had started safety assessments as well, BBC News reports. He mentioned the Hudson River tunnels as a top concern, despite there being no reports of major damage.
“The rail tunnels were built in… 1911, which is why we’re building two new ones,” he said.
US President Joe Biden has spoken to Governor Murphy regarding the incident. The White House said via a statement that if needed, the administration will provide assistance.
The earthquake and its aftermath resulted in a delay of flights at area airports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said they had resumed by 12.30pm, with residual delays expected.
The Save the Children CEO had also been speaking to the Security Council at the time at the United Nations in Manhattan on the Israel-Gaza conflict. The address was then stopped as cameras began trembling.
As for Myanmar, Al Arabiya News reports that the country felt a magnitude 5.8 earthquake according to the European Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC).
EMSC added that the quake occurred at a depth of 10km.
These two earthquakes come after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan earlier this week.
Also read: 2 Singaporeans missing in Taiwan after earthquake, MFA in contact with next of kin
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Featured image adapted from Nelson Ndongala on Unsplash for illustration purposes only.
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