Alaska earthquake map: Where is the tsunami warning in force on the US coast and Canada?

The quake struck 157 miles (256km) south-east of Chiniak, Alaska, at 9.31am GMT on Tuesday.

Reports on social media suggest the tremors were felt as far south as Seatle and Vancouver. Details on damage and casualties have not yet emerged.

People are being alerted to the danger by text messages. 

The alert told people to seek refuge on higher grounds in affected areas.

Where have tsunami warnings been issued?

The quake prompted a tsunami warning for parts of Alaska and Canada and a tsunami watch for the entire US west coast, the US Tsunami Warning System said.

Areas from British Columbia to the Aleutian Islands are under the warning order with watches expanding all the way to Hawaii. 

Alaska is situated on the Ring of Fire, a huge area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions frequently occur.

The quake comes just hours after a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Java, Indonesia, sending people in the capital running into the streets.

The NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that, based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, “widespread hazardous tsunami waves were possible”.

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