A magnitude-4.8 earthquake has struck the New York City region, shaking buildings and surprising residents in an area that rarely experiences notable seismic activity.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake hit at 10:23am, about 72 kilometres west of New York City and 80km north of Philadelphia at a depth of 4.7km.
At 6:59pm there was a small but noticeable aftershock, which had a magnitude of 4.0, according to the agency.
The epicentre of the quake on Friday morning (local time) was near Lebanon, New Jersey, according to the USGS.
The earthquake was felt across the region, including in New York City, New Jersey, northern Pennsylvania and western Connecticut, according to Reuters journalists and social media.
USGS figures indicated that the quake might have been felt by more than 42 million people.
At the United Nations in Midtown Manhattan, the Save the Children CEO abruptly stopped addressing the Security Council on the Israel-Gaza conflict as cameras began shuddering.
"Is it an earthquake?" Janti Soeripto wondered aloud, before asking if it was all right to go ahead.
She did, but soon diplomats’ phones blared with earthquake alerts.
"You're making the ground shake," Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour quipped.
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Story by ABC News