Aftershocks in New Jersey after earthquake hits New York

New Jersey was hit by an aftershock of 4.0 magnitude following a massive 4.8 magnitude earthquake that was felt in New York and neighbouring areas on Friday, local authorities said. 

“New Jersey just experienced an aftershock. Please follow the emergency guidance below and avoid calling 911 unless you have an actual emergency,” the Governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy wrote on X.

Earlier, a 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck the New York City region on Friday (April 5) morning, news agency Reuters reported citing the US Geological Survey. The quake’s epicenter was near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, the USGS said. There was no damage immediately reported.

The U.S. Geological Survey said over 42 million people might have felt the midmorning quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8, centered near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, or about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of New York City and 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Philadelphia.

UN briefing on Gaza disrupted due to earthquake

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. “You’re making the ground shake,” Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour quipped.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told airlines they can expect flights to be held for New York City airports until noon because of the earthquake and delays of 30-45 minutes. Some flights bound for New York diverted to other airports, according to the tracking website FlightAware. “Air traffic operations are resuming as quickly as possible,” the FAA said.

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