5.8 Earthquake Hits US. White House, Pentagon Evacuated

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck U.S. east coast on Tuesday afternoon and was felt in Washington D. C., New York City,North Carolina and even in Toronto, Canada.

The quake that lasted up to 45 seconds occurred at 1:51 p.m. local time (1751 GMT), 135 km southwest of U.S. capital Washington D.C., at a depth of six km, the United States Geological Survey ( USGS) reported on its website.

The quake was also felt as far away as Martha’s Vineyard, some 500 miles (800 kilometers) away, off the coast of Massachusetts, where President Barack Obama was playing golf during his vacation.

Earthquakes of magnitude 5.5 to 6 usually cause slight damage to buildings and other structures.

According to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), two nuclear reactors were automatically taken off-line near quake site in Virginia. NRC officials are assessing the situation and sending people to inspect the site.

U.S. weather service says no tsunami is expected after the quake while the USGS expects aftershocks.

The White House, Pentagon and U.S. Capitol Building in Washington were temporarily evacuated after the quake while telecommunication in some areas was briefly disrupted.

The quake also sent people spilling into the street in Washington D.C. and many other districts, according to witnesses.

According to Pete Piringer, spokesman for the Washington District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services, numerous buildings have been damaged due to the quake, including the Ecuadorian embassy and a handful of schools, but so far there are no reports of serious injuries or deaths. He said all city fire trucks and ambulances have been deployed.

The National Park Service also closed and evacuated all National Mall monuments and memorials following the quake.

Passenger train operator Amtrak said in a statement that it is operating trains at reduced speeds between Baltimore and Washington while crews inspect tracks, stations and other rail infrastructure. There were no injuries and passengers should expect delays, it said.

“This is one of the largest earthquakes on the east coast in quite a while, in many decades at least,” USGS spokeswoman Lucy Jones told CNN. “It’s not unprecedented. But it’s one of the largest we’ve had there.”

Source: Xinhua

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