In brief
A magnitude-7.0 earthquake occurred in a remote area near the border between Alaska and Yukon. The USGS reported it struck 230 miles northwest of Juneau, with residents feeling the tremor but no serious damage reported. The Canadian community of Haines Junction was the nearest populated area, about 80 miles from the epicenter.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A powerful, magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck in a remote area near the border between Alaska and the Canadian territory of Yukon on Saturday. There was no tsunami warning, and officials said there were no immediate reports of damage or injury.The U.S. Geological Survey said it struck about 230 miles (370 kilometers) northwest of Juneau, Alaska, and 155 miles (250 kilometers) west of Whitehorse, Yukon.In Whitehorse, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Calista MacLeod reported the detachment received two 911 calls about the earthquake, saying, “It definitely was felt. There are a lot of people on social media, people felt it.”Alison Bird, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, noted that the part of Yukon most affected is sparsely populated and characterized by scenic mountains.“Mostly people have reported things falling off shelves and walls,” Bird commented. “It doesn’t seem like we’ve seen anything in terms of structural damage.”The community nearest to the epicenter is Haines Junction, approximately 80 miles (130 kilometers) away, with a population of 1,018 according to the Yukon Bureau of Statistics as of 2022. The quake was about 56 miles (91 kilometers) from Yakutat, Alaska, which has a population of 662 residents. The earthquake struck at a depth of about 6 miles (10 kilometers) and was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks.