'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Authorities have claimed that on Tuesday morning, January 2, a 1.7-magnitude earthquake awakened Roosevelt Island residents, leaving them without electricity. According to Christina Fan of CBS New York, many felt the earthquake, including those who lived on the Upper East Side.
The earthquake occurred near Astoria at approximately 5:45 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In New York City, there were no reports of injuries or damage. Residents of Roosevelt Island reported that they felt their buildings tremble after what they thought to be several explosions.
Sources like Newsweek reported that just before 6 a.m. local time on Tuesday, the New York City Fire Department, or FDNY, reported explosions and shaking of the buildings. It then proceeded to 580 Main Street, south of the Roosevelt Island Bridge and Tram.
Once the news was uploaded on X (formerly known as Twitter) @TheInsiderPaper, it went viral. Netizens immediately flooded the comment section of the post to react and express their opinion regarding the tragic incident.
Netizens react as explosion shakes Roosevelt Island
According to the New York Times and other sources, the earthquake was first recorded at 5:45 a.m. Roosevelt Island and the surrounding districts, such as Astoria and the Upper East Side, started receiving calls around the same moment.
First responders gathered at 580 Main Street, which is located just south of the Roosevelt Island Bridge and Tramway, with Chopper 2 hovering above the area.
The NYPD further reported to The Independent:
"It is believed that a transformer may have caused the incident."
However, the location of the transformer and the precise mechanism by which it produced the reported explosion noises and tremors were not made clear by the police department.
On the other hand, Tuesday morning saw a sizable FDNY response even while the streets remained open in that area. In addition, there were power outages at the buildings at 2 and 4 River Road, which are located directly south of the Roosevelt Island Bridge and Tram.
Moreover, according to NBC New York, even residents in Manhattan and Queens contacted authorities to report hearing what they described as little explosions. Locals have claimed that a loud noise startled them out of their sleep and that they felt their buildings tremble.
According to ABC7NY, a local said:
"It was like an explosion, sounded like a bomb went off. The building shook. It woke us up. We called downstairs, and they said it happened to all four buildings."
The entire news was uploaded on X by The Insider Paper. Once the information went public, it sparked wild reactions among netizens. They took to the comment section of the post to voice their opinion regarding the entire situation.
Luckily, there have been no reported injuries. First responders were examining the buildings' structural integrity on the island, but none appeared to be compromised.
The NYC Police Department has been assisting the vehicles through the region, according to the same source. In addition, the FDNY and Con Edison, which is the New York City's power supplier, are currently looking into the precise reason behind the incident.
Furthermore, Con Edison has been contacted by The Independent, but no response has been received.
