No Reports of Jamaicans Affected by 4.8 Magnitude Earthquake in U.S. East Coast

There are no reports of any Jamaicans being affected by the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked New York City and its environs on the United States (U.S.) east coast on Friday (April 5).

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, indicated that he had dialogue with Jamaica’s Consul General in New York, Alsion Wilson, in the quake’s aftermath during which she assured him that no information has surfaced that any of the country’s nationals were harmed by the tremor.

“Based on the reports received from the Office of the Mayor of New York, there were no serious impacts or infrastructural damage, and schools and after school programmes continued throughout the day,” he told JIS News.

Mr. Terrelonge, who said the earthquake’s epicentre was located near Lebanon, New Jersey, and could be felt from Pennsylvania to Connecticut, noted that it is one of the strongest to hit the U.S. east coast in recent times, adding that “we are thankful that our Diaspora members and the entire Tri-State area have been spared serious harm.”

“We take the safety of our citizens living in the Diaspora very seriously, and will continue to liaise with our Diaspora groups and organisations across the Tri-State area as we monitor the situation. As one Jamaican family, we encourage our family members abroad to take all the necessary safety precautions to protect themselves and their families, as aftershocks are expected,” he said.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) indicated that at least six aftershocks were reported by residents and the United States Geological Survey.

The BBC further reported that the Statue of Liberty in New York was seen swaying during the initial tremor, while workers and residents across the city’s five boroughs reported the occurrence of violent rumbling.

New Jersey Governor, Phil Murphy, reported that a safety assessment had commenced across the State, adding that top among his concerns were the Hudson River tunnels, although there were no reports of major damage.