An undersea quake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale Tuesday afternoon jolted several US cities, including Washington DC, where the authorities had to temporarily evacuate the White House, the Capitol Hill and other buildings, Xinhua reported. There was no immediate report of damage or casualties.

The quake occurred at 1751 GMT and is being described as "one of the largest earthquakes on the east coast". The epicentre was located 134 km southwest of Washington D.C.