UPDATE 3 -- Strong earthquake strikes the U.S. East Coast, widely felt

UPDATE 3 -- Strong earthquake strikes the U.S. East Coast, widely felt

2011-08-24 01:43:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- A strong earthquake struck the U.S. state of Virginia on early Tuesday afternoon, seismologists said, with shaking felt in large areas of the U.S. East Coast, including Washington, D.C. and New York City. There are reports of damage.

The 5.9-magnitude earthquake at 1.51 p.m. local time (1751 GMT) was centered about 4 miles (6 kilometers) south-southeast of Louisa, Virginia. It struck about 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) deep, making it a very shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Strong shaking was felt over a large area, including Washington, D.C. and New York City. The USGS estimated that some 800 people may have felt 'severe' shaking, while 33,000 people were estimated to having perceived 'strong' to 'very strong' shaking. It further said more than 9 million people may have felt light to moderate shaking.

Numerous buildings were immediately evacuated in several cities such as Washington, D.C. and New York City. In Washington, D.C., a spokesperson for Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) said most of buildings in downtown had been evacuated.

Evacuated buildings in D.C. include the White House, the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol, and other government buildings. The spokesperson said it was receiving reports of damage, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

DC Fire and EMS said it had deployed additional units as it was checking structures, with priority given to buildings such as schools, hospitals and senior centers.

Buildings were also evacuated in New York City, including City Hall and the 26-story federal courthouse which is located in lower Manhattan. New York-area airports were closed as a precaution.

The earthquake was also felt on the island of Martha's Vineyard, located off the coast of Massachusetts, where U.S. President Barack Obama is for his annual vacation.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-08-24