LOS ANGELES – An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 shook on Wednesday the coast of the American state of Alaska and caused the issuance of a Tsunami alert for a few hours, the United States Geological Service (USGS) reported.
The earthquake was recorded around 12h37 local (20h37 GMT), with its epicenter 87 kilometers south of Sand Point, a small city of the Shumagin archipelago, and a depth of 20.1 kilometers, said the USGS.
The authorities issued a Tsunami alert for southern Alaska and the homonymous peninsula, but was raised just under two hours later.
The USGS indicated that “the risk of victims and damage is low.”
“In general, the population in this region resides in earthquake -resistant structures, although there are vulnerable structures,” added the office.
Several cities and towns in the alert area first sounded their warning sirens and asked their inhabitants to take refuge in elevated land or inland.
“They can return to their homes”
When the afternoon fell on Wednesday, the authorities declared that there was no danger.
“They can return to their homes,” explained the authorities of the people of Unalaska in a statement to their residents.
The Kodiak emergency operations center, one of the most populated towns in the area with 5,200 inhabitants, also declared the “end of the alert.”
The alert was also issued to the Pacific coasts, from Kennedy Entrance to Unimak Pass, the NTWC explained.
According to the initial information, no tsunami alerts were issued for farther areas.
Zone with high seismic activity
Alaska is located in the Pacific Fire belt, an area with high seismic activity.
In March 1967, this remote state was beaten by an earthquake of magnitude 9.2, the strongest recorded in North America.
He devastated the city of Anchorage and caused a tsunami that swept Alaska’s gulf, on the west coast of the United States, and Hawaii.
More than 250 people died because of the earthquake and tsunami.
In July 2023, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 was recorded in the Alaska Peninsula, without causing major damage.
