No tsunami warning issued; minor shaking felt in Yukon and southeast Alaska.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck a remote wilderness area near the Alaska-Canada border on Saturday, shaking communities in both southeast Alaska and the Canadian territory of Yukon but causing no significant damage or injuries, according to early reports from U.S. and Canadian officials.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake occurred roughly 230 miles northwest of Juneau, Alaska, and 155 miles west of Whitehorse, Yukon, at a shallow depth of about 6 miles (10 kilometers). The agency did not issue a tsunami warning.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Calista MacLeod in Whitehorse said local authorities received a few emergency calls immediately following the quake. “It definitely was felt,” MacLeod said. “There are a lot of people on social media — people felt it.”
Seismologist Alison Bird with Natural Resources Canada said the most affected area was mountainous and sparsely populated. “Mostly people have reported things falling off shelves and walls,” Bird noted. “It doesn’t seem like we’ve seen anything in terms of structural damage.”
The Canadian town Haines Junction, population about 1,000, is the nearest community to the epicenter, roughly 80 miles away, while Yakutat, Alaska, about 56 miles from the quake’s center, has a population of 662.
The strong tremor was followed by several smaller aftershocks, but no major infrastructure or safety concerns were reported as of Saturday afternoon.
Officials said monitoring will continue through the weekend as seismic activity remains elevated in the rugged border region.
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