A magnitude-5.8 earthquake rattled the east coast yesterday. The Episcopal National Cathedral was damaged and the Washington Monument closed. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
BBC reports that – The quake centred on the state of Virginia but was felt in Washington, where the Pentagon and US Capitol were evacuated, as well as in New York.
The quake struck some 84 miles (135km) from south-west of Washington, at a depth of 3.7 miles (6km), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The quake was one of the most powerful on the east coast of the US since 1897, according to USGS records, matching the strength of a tremor in the state of New York in 1944.