A powerful earthquake and series of aftershocks struck southern Alaska early yesterday, causing serious damage to roads and other infrastructure in and around Anchorage.
There were no reports of injury, but the Anchorage Police Department said that there is “major damage” to roads and bridges as well as homes and other buildings.
“Many roads and bridges are closed,” the statement said, urging citizens to stay off the roads if they don’t need to drive.
The statement described the earthquake as “massive” and said the police department was operational and had dispatched officers throughout the area.
Governor Bill Walker issued a disaster declaration and said he had been in direct contact with the White House.
Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, with about 300,000 people.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck about 8.30am (1730 GMT) and estimated its magnitude at 7.0.
The quake’s epicentre was about 13km northwest of Anchorage at a depth of about 43km, the USGS said.
Two of the aftershocks had preliminary magnitudes of more than 5.3.
One of them resulted in a tsunami warning for all of Cook Inlet, which stretches about 290km from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage.
It was later lifted.
Photos posted to social media showed grocery stores with items smashed off of shelves, while videos showed hanging lights swaying.
A road leading to Anchorage Airport was partially collapsed, an airport official tweeted.
Photos of roads with their asphalt split open and broken into slabs were posted by the Anchorage Daily News.
“Everyone just sprinted out of the coffee shop I was at in Anchorage in the middle of a huge earthquake,” Nat Herz, a reporter with Alaska’s Energy Desk, posted on Twitter.
“Car alarms going off, etc. But not seeing any serious damage here aside from random stuff falling over. People going back to computers, meetings,” he added.
The University of Alaska said it was closing for the day.
“All non-essential personnel should go home,” it said in a tweet.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the earthquake and is monitoring damage reports.
Former Alaska governor and 2008 vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin tweeted that her family was unharmed, but her house was not.
“I imagine that’s the case for many, many others. So thankful to be safe; praying for our state following the earthquake.”




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