The United States National Park Service has temporarily closed the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and the Old Post Office Tower.

The decision was taken following as a precaution following an earthquake in Washington DC area earlier this week.

The monuments and memorials were evacuated following the earthquake.

No injuries to any visitors have been reported.

However, the earthquake is believed to have put a crack in the Washington Monument.

The National Park Service is evaluating the structures to ensure that they are structurally sound and safe for all visitors.

The NPS has completed a preliminary inspection of the Washington Monument and has found it to be structurally sound.

The Washington Monument grounds are being reopened except for the plaza and the Monument itself.

The NPS will continue to inspect the interior of the Monument before any decisions are made about reopening it to the public.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Memorial and the Korean War Memorial remain open.

“As always, safety remains the NPS’ chief concern,” read a statement.

“The NPS will be evaluating all of the structures throughout the National Capital Region to determine structural integrity and to ensure visitor safety.”

City.Mobi

Also in the United States today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Washington DC.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Washington DC.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.