An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 strikes off Alaska. Image Courtesy – Amnon Free Press
Alaska is shaken by a strong earthquake. A tsunami alert was issued for areas within 200 miles of the epicentre in Alaska. A strong earthquake was felt in the Alaska Peninsula on Wednesday. The magnitude of the vibration on the Richter scale was 7.8.
A tsunami alert has been issued around the 300 km area around the epicentre. The US Geological Survey said the quake shook the peninsula around 6:12 am according to Alaska local time on Wednesday. The quake was mainly felt in the southeastern peninsula of Alaska. The epicentre was reported 500 miles from Anchorage, one of Alaska’s largest cities. The epicentre was reported at a depth of 10 km. According to the local people, sirens sounded in the area as soon as the quake was felt.
Read: Tropical Cyclones are getting intensified by Climate Change
The US Geological Survey estimates the tsunami could have an impact on parts of southern Alaska and the peninsula. It is under observation whether the effect of tsunami can be found in Canada of Northern America and the areas connected to the Pacific Ocean. Alaska is an important part of the earthquake prone area of the Pacific Ocean.
A previous earthquake in 1984 had a magnitude of 9.2 in Alaska. It was the most devastating earthquake in North America so far. The earthquake devastated Anchorage, the largest city of Alaska 56 years ago. The quake also affected the coast of Alaska, the Hawaiian Islands and the west coast of the United States. More than 250 people were killed in the quake and tsunami.
