Local tsunami generated by Alaska quake—center

Map of Alaska locating the epicentre of a 7.3-magnitude quake late Thursday. AFP

WASHINGTON — A local but possibly destructive tsunami has been generated by a major 7.7-magnitude earthquake that shook an area in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the US state of Alaska early Saturday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

“Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated,” the US center said in a statement. “It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter.”