7.5-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Alaska's Coast, Tsunami Warnings Are Issued

The US Geological Survey just made it public news that this Saturday, at 08:58 GMT, a major earthquake had struck in the Pacific Ocean at a distance of just 100 kilometers (62.13 miles) from Alaska's coastline.

More precisely, its epicenter was found to have been located at 106 km (65.86 miles) west of Craig, Alaska. Despite the fact that the earthquake's magnitude hit 7.6 on the Richter scale, no structural damages and/or human casualties have thus far been reported.

However, tsunami warnings have been issued. The areas targeted by these warnings are British Columbia, Canada and southern Alaska.

Sources say that, according to one statement issued by the US Geological Survey, “Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated.”

Said organization explained the earthquake as follows:

“The January 5, 2013 M 7.5 earthquake off the west coast of southeastern Alaska occurred as a result of shallow strike-slip faulting on or near the plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates.”