Earthquake Of Magnitude 7.2 Jolts US' Alaska, Tsunami Alert Issued

JE World Desk: An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the Alaska Peninsula region on Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Following the quake, the US tsunami warning system issued a tsunami threat. The quake was at a depth of 9.3 km (5.78 miles), USGS said.

According to initial reports, no casualties have been reported.  The Alaska Earthquake Centre said that tremors were felt across the Alaskan Peninsula, the Aleutian Islands and the Cook Inlet regions. Alaska is part of the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

"For other US and Canadian Pacific coasts in North America, the level of tsunami danger is being evaluated." National Tsunami warning centre was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

This is not the first time earthquakes of this magnitude jolted Alaska, in March 1964, Alaska was hit by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in North America. It devastated Anchorage and unleashed a tsunami that slammed the Gulf of Alaska, the US west coast, and Hawaii. More than 250 people were killed by the quake and the tsunami.