Aftershock rattles US east coast

25.08.2011 [15:42]
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Baku, August 25 (AZERTAC). A 4.5 magnitude aftershock has jolted the US east coast, two days after an earthquake left building inspectors assessing damage to national monuments.

It struck five miles (8km) south of Mineral, Virginia - the epicenter of Tuesday`s 5.8 magnitude quake, said the National Earthquake Information Center.

The latest tremor, at 01:07 local time (06:07 BST), was the strongest of four aftershocks, the US monitors said.

However, there were no immediate reports of damage.

Local media reported it was felt 82 miles (133km) to the north-west in the capital Washington, as well as in northern Virginia and Maryland.

Tuesday`s earthquake, one of the most powerful to hit the east coast since 1897, had been felt as far away as Alabama and Boston.

In Washington, it opened a small crack near the top of the Washington Monument, prompting officials to indefinitely close the structure.

The National Cathedral lost part of its towering neo-Gothic spires and suffered cracks in its flying buttresses, while many schools and older buildings across the region suffered minor damage.

Two nuclear reactors were taken offline as a precaution near the epicenter of the original quake, but no damage was reported.

Aftershock rattles US east coast

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