Statue of Liberty shakes during rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake in New York. Watch

New York earthquake: The camera on the Statue of Liberty camera captured the rare tremors that hit New York City on Friday.

The surveillance camera on top of the Statue of Liberty captured a remarkable event as a rare 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattled New York City on Friday. The seismic activity, unusual for the region, shook millions of people from New York and Philadelphia skyscrapers to rural New England, causing no widespread damage but startling an area unaccustomed to tremors.

New York's Statue of Liberty was also struck by a lightning. (AP)

New York Governor Kathy Hochul described it as “one of the largest earthquakes on the East Coast in the last century”.

Watch the video of the earthquake recorded from Statue of Liberty:

Lightning strikes Statue of Liberty

Another widely-shared image showed lighting strike Statue of Liberty during a storm. The remarkable image, clicked by photographer Dan Martin, shows a lightning bolt appearing to touch Lady Liberty's torch.

Friday's earthquake's epicentre was in Tewksbury in central New Jersey, about 64 kilometres west of New York City. It occurred just after 10:20 am ET (1420 GMT) at a depth of 4.7 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said.

Though no major damage or injuries were reported, the authorities urged residents to take cover under furniture, in a doorway or next to an interior wall if they felt aftershocks.

US President Joe Biden spoke with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy about the earthquake, and the administration will provide assistance if needed, the White House said in a statement.

At the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, the Save the Children CEO abruptly stopped addressing the Security Council on the Israel-Gaza conflict as cameras began shuddering. The moment was captured on camera.

"You're making the ground shake," Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour quipped.

The earthquake on Friday was the largest felt in New York City since a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in Virginia in 2011, that prompted evacuations of City Hall and other buildings and caused damage in Washington.

(With inputs from Agencies)