LAST UPDATE | 5 Apr 2024

RESIDENTS OF NEW York City have been told to go about their day as normal after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit the area.

No damage or injuries have been reported, but the city’s emergency management team says it is continuing to monitor any possible impact.

The quake hit at around 10:23am EST and its epicentre is believed to have been Lebanon, New Jersey, about 25 kilometres from New York City.

At a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Eric Adams said everyone in the city felt the earthquake “someway or another”.

“This is a developing situation. We are always concerned about aftershocks after an earthquake, but New Yorkers should go about their normal day.

“I encourage New Yorkers to check on their loved ones to make sure that they are fine, not only from the infrastructure damage, but this could be a traumatic moment for individuals.

“Earthquakes don’t happen every day in New York.”

The city’s emergency notification system has sent a message to all mobile phones in the area. It says that aftershocks may be felt but that everyone can “continue usual activities”.

At the UN, which is based in New York, the earthquake briefly interrupted proceedings during a session of the Security Council.

As Save the Children representative Janti Soeripto was speaking on the situation in Gaza, a tremor was felt in the building.

“Is that an earthquake?” Soeripto asked.

After a pause, another member said: “You’re making the ground shake.”

‘Business as usual’

In Brooklyn buildings shook, rattling cupboard doors and fixtures, an AFP correspondent reported.

At the United Nations, which has its headquarters in New York, a Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza was temporarily paused after the tremor.

“Is that an earthquake?” said Save the Children representative Janti Soeripto who was speaking at the time.

Social media users reported feeling the earthquake from Philadelphia up to New York and eastward along Long Island.

The iconic Empire State Building reported on its X account: “I AM FINE.”

It’s “business as usual” at the landmark.

NYC Public Schools said it is aware of the earthquake and has assembled its building response team “out of an abundance of caution” to ensure the safety of students and staff.

However, there is “no indication” that any school buildings have been compromised.

With reporting by AFP and Press Association