New York rattled by earthquake with magnitude of 4.7 on Richter scale

Buildings in New York and surrounding areas have been hit by an earthquake (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

An earthquake shook the densely populated New York City metropolitan area Friday morning, the US Geological Survey said, with residents reporting they felt rumbling across the north east of the country.

The agency reported a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7, centred near Lebanon, New Jersey, or about 45 miles west of New York City and 50 miles north of Philadelphia.