A Major Earthquake Hits Anchorage | Tsunami Alert Initiated For Coastal Areas Of Alaska
A lethal and strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake has hit Alaska, causing people to flee from buildings and initiating a tsunami alert for coastal areas of the state.
The epicentre of the was about 7 miles (11km) north of Anchorage, the main city in the state, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
A sequence of reverberations were recorded as a result of the aftershocks which had a depth of 40.9km, the USGS said.
Anchorage has a population of approx 300,000 people with 100,000 who live in the surrounding area.
The earthquake was first reported at 08.29 local time (17.29 GMT), the USGS added.
Alaska’s Governor Bill Walker has described the situation tragic.
Officials are advising people to use social media and text messages to connect with loved ones as phone lines may be down for some time.
At present there are no reports of casualties.
Footage and pictures forwarded on social media showed products dispersed across floors of supermarkets with shelves collapsed and lighting damaged.
The quake has also triggered roads to break apart and other constructions to collapse. Locals have also posted pictures of buildings on fire in the aftermath.
Public transport has been interrupted by the quake as well. One of the state’s main domestic airline has suspended operations until midday, but the Anchorage Airport is still open.
Local residents and eye witnesses have told the BBC there is currently no power or water and most radio stations are off air as shocks continue.
The biggest quake in US history coincidentally happened in Anchorage in 1964. The magnitude 9.2 quake was the 2nd largest ever recorded, worldwide, and overwhelmed the region.
A Major Earthquake Hits Anchorage
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Sources: bbc, abcnews, breitbart
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