A tsunami warning was issued in Alaska after an enormous 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast.
The quake hit south of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, triggering an emergency alert for residents in sparsely populated Sand Point, Cold Bay and Kodiak.
Tsunami sirens reportedly went off in Kodiak at around 1.30pm local time.
The Alaska Earthquake Center said a magnitude 5.2 aftershock was reported minutes later along the southern coast.
It is one of the strongest earthquakes of the year so far, taking place at a depth of 40 km, according to preliminary information.
King Cove city administrator Gary Hennigh said communities in the Alaska Peninsula were evacuated to higher ground, and the tsunami warning was cancelled after three hours.
‘It was a pretty good ride, I couldn’t tell you for how long – maybe 15-30 seconds,’ Cold Bay resident Michael Ashley told Anchorage Daily News.
‘All the couches, recliners and bookcases were moving around, and I had to pretty much hold one of them up.’
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