WASHINGTON — A 3.6-magnitude earthquake, fairly rare on the US east coast, rattled Washington and the surrounding area early Friday, the US Geological Service said.

The temblor struck 35 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the US federal capital, in the state of Maryland, at 0904 GMT.

But the quake was felt for several seconds in many areas north of Washington as well as in downtown Washington near the White House.