4.0 magnitude aftershock rattles New Jersey hours after morning quake

Hours after a 4.8-magnitude earthquake, New Jersey was hit by another aftershock of 4.0 on Friday (local time), authorities confirmed.

"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.



Governor of the New York State, Kathy Hochul also confirming the same wrote on X, "A 4.0 magnitude aftershock from this morning's earthquake in New Jersey just occurred."

"We are continuing to review critical infrastructure and there are no reports of significant damage at this time," she said.

The aftershock hit the same area of New Jersey as earlier, just before 6 pm on Friday (local time).

The epicentre of the aftershock was said to be 7.4 miles northwest of Bridgewater, which is just over the county line in Somerset County. The aftershock was significantly deeper than the initial quake, about 5.6 miles deep, which explains why it wouldn't have been felt by many, according to NBC New York.

Notably, it was the second aftershock reported. Earlier, a much smaller aftershock of magnitude 2.0, was reported by the USGS in Bedminster, New Jersey, around 11:20 am.

The US Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that the earthquake that affected several regions in the US might impact some air traffic facilities in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

"A 4.8 magnitude earthquake in New Jersey may impact some air traffic facilities in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Air traffic operations are resuming as quickly as possible," the FAA posted on X.

The 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck 7 km north-northeast of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, on Friday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

The quake occurred at 19:53:20 (UTC) and its depth was registered at 116.5 km.According to the USGS, the earthquake's epicentre was found at 40.683°N latitude and 74.753°W longitude, respectively.

The New York Police Department stated that there were no damages or injuries reported, according to CNN.