6.2-magnitude earthquake shakes Alaska–USGS

LOS ANGELES–A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska on Thursday and was felt in the state capital Anchorage, the US Geological Survey and social media reported.

No tsunami alert was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Alert Warning Center after the quake, which struck about 80 miles northwest of Anchorage, according to the USGS and media reports.

There were no immediate reports of major damage, although the epicenter of the quake was in a relatively rural area.

“There was just a major earthquake and my building was shaking and my ceiling tiles fell,” tweeted @marcus_the_don, while @kcgrove added: “Wow. Big quake. At least it felt big on the 6th floor of the #Anchorage courthouse.”

The quake struck shortly before 10 a.m. local time (1800 GMT). It was initially estimated at a magnitude of 6.1.

Alaska, which is on the Rim of Fire, a seismically fragile zone that surrounds the Pacific Ocean, is used to earthquakes. In June a 7.9-magnitude quake triggered a local tsunami alert in a remote section of the US Aleutian islands.

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook an area in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Alaska in January last year.