A powerful magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck a remote area near the border between Alaska and the Canadian territory of Yukon on Saturday, according to the US Geological Survey. There was no tsunami warning, and officials reported no immediate injuries or structural damage.
The quake was centred about 370 kilometres north-west of Juneau, Alaska, and 250 kilometres west of Whitehorse, Yukon. It struck at a depth of approximately 10 kilometres and was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks.
In Whitehorse, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Calista MacLeod said the detachment received two 911 calls about the earthquake. 'It definitely was felt. There are a lot of people on social media, people felt it,' she said.
Alison Bird, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, noted that the most affected part of Yukon is mountainous and sparsely populated. 'Mostly people have reported things falling off shelves and walls. It doesn't seem like we've seen anything in terms of structural damage,' Bird said.
The nearest Canadian community to the epicentre is Haines Junction, about 130 kilometres away, with a population of just over 1,000. The quake was also about 90 kilometres from Yakutat, Alaska, which has 662 residents.
