A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hit a remote region near the Alaska-Canada border early Saturday, leaving residents shaken but thankfully uninjured.
The quake struck approximately 370 kilometers northwest of Juneau, Alaska's capital city, and about 250 kilometers west of Whitehorse, Yukon's largest city. With no tsunami warning issued, local authorities reported that there were only two 911 calls received by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment in Whitehorse, confirming that the quake had indeed occurred.
"It was definitely felt," said Sgt. Calista MacLeod of the RCMP detachment. "There are a lot of people on social media who have reported feeling it." Despite initial concerns, local officials claim that there's been no significant structural damage.
Seismologist Alison Bird from Natural Resources Canada noted that most reports so far indicate minor incidents such as objects falling off shelves and walls, with few people affected by the quake. The most populous community closest to the epicenter is Haines Junction, with a population of just 1,018 residents, approximately 80 kilometers away.
Yakutat, Alaska, which boasts about 662 residents, was also within the quake's vicinity, though no further information was available on the impact it sustained. The tremors were detected at a depth of around six miles and were followed by multiple aftershocks.
The quake struck approximately 370 kilometers northwest of Juneau, Alaska's capital city, and about 250 kilometers west of Whitehorse, Yukon's largest city. With no tsunami warning issued, local authorities reported that there were only two 911 calls received by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment in Whitehorse, confirming that the quake had indeed occurred.
"It was definitely felt," said Sgt. Calista MacLeod of the RCMP detachment. "There are a lot of people on social media who have reported feeling it." Despite initial concerns, local officials claim that there's been no significant structural damage.
Seismologist Alison Bird from Natural Resources Canada noted that most reports so far indicate minor incidents such as objects falling off shelves and walls, with few people affected by the quake. The most populous community closest to the epicenter is Haines Junction, with a population of just 1,018 residents, approximately 80 kilometers away.
Yakutat, Alaska, which boasts about 662 residents, was also within the quake's vicinity, though no further information was available on the impact it sustained. The tremors were detected at a depth of around six miles and were followed by multiple aftershocks.