CLOSE A strong earthquake struck in a sparsely populated area of Southeast Alaska near its border with Canada's Yukon Territory on Monday, followed by a series of minor seismic events. At a magnitude of 6.2, the temblor hit northwest of Mosquito Lake, a hamlet with a population of about 300. USA TODAY

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake (yellow star) was recorded in British Columbia on Monday, May 1, 2017. (Photo: U.S. Geological Survey)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude-6.3 aftershock has shaken the corner of British Columbia, near the boundary with Alaska, nearly two hours after a magnitude-6.2 earthquake hit the same area.

Geophysicist Amy Vaughan says it's not completely uncommon for an aftershock to be larger than the triggering quake, though normally the following quakes are smaller. She says there's been a series of aftershocks ranging from magnitudes 2 to 5.

The initial large quake hit around 4:30 a.m. Monday about 30 miles northwest of the tiny Alaska town of Mosquito Lake and about 83 miles southwest of Whitehorse, Canada.

The large aftershock struck within a few miles.

The geological survey website has recorded nearly 200 reports of people feeling the shaking.

Vaughan says the area is highly seismic and quakes of this magnitude aren't unexpected.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2qpfujD </s> Several powerful earthquakes struck Monday in the northern tip of British Columbia near the border with Alaska and Yukon.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a 6.2-magnitude quake hit 88 kilometres northwest of Skagway, Alaska. That was followed by several smaller quakes, including one with a magnitude of 5.2 shake and another major 6.3 quake about almost two hours after the first.

USGS geophysicist Amy Vaughan tells the Associated Press that it's not completely uncommon for an aftershock to be larger than the triggering quake, though normally, following quakes are smaller.

Natural Resources Canada says the first quake struck around 5:30 a.m. Pacific time, at a depth of only 10 kilometres.

There are no reports of injuries or building damage in the remote region, and no tsunami warning was issued. But Yukon Energy confirmed that the quakes triggered power outages.

Several Twitter users reported feeling tremors, including many in Whitehorse, about 170 kilometres away.

Seismologist Taimi Mulder of the Geologic Survey of Canada tells CTV News Channel the quake occurred on the Fairweather Fault, also known as the Queen Charlotte Fault.

The Alaska area experiences a large amount of seismic activity due to the movement of the Pacific tectonic plate and the North American plate. In 1964, an earthquake centred near Prince William Sound in Alaska registered a magnitude of 9.2 -- the second-largest ever recorded.

Mulder says there could be more aftershock quakes to come after Monday’s temblor.

There’s also the potential this earthquake could be a foreshock of a larger quake still to come, Mulder added.

“We won’t know until probably for the next week or two,” she said. </s> A powerful earthquake struck Monday, in the northern tip of British Columbia near the border with Alaska and Yukon.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a 6.2-magnitude quake hit 88 kilometres northwest of Skagway, Alaska, around 4:30 a.m. local time. That was followed by several smaller aftershocks.

Natural Resources Canada says the earthquake struck at a shallow depth of only 10 kilometres.

Several Twitter users reported feeling tremors, including many in Whitehorse, about 180 kilometres away.

The Alaska area experiences a high amount of seismic activity due to the movement of the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. In 1964, an earthquake centred near Prince William Sound in Alaska registered a magnitude of 9.2 -- the second-largest earthquake ever recorded.. </s> The Latest on a series of earthquakes on the boundary of Canada and Alaska : State Rep. Charisse Millett was asleep in Juneau, 134 miles away from the quake, when the shaking started around 4:30 a.m. Monday. The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude-6.2 earthquake shook the corner of British Columbia, near the boundary with Alaska, followed nearly two hours later by a magnitude-6.3 aftershock in the same area.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Fredericksburg.com. </s> WHITEHORSE — A series of earthquakes shook parts of southwestern Yukon and northern British Columbia early Monday morning, knocking out power in the territory's capital.

Natural Resources Canada said a quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale was centred in a remote area 77 kilometres northwest of Skagway, Alaska, and 127 kilometres southwest of Whitehorse.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that that was followed by a 5.2 shake a few minutes later and another major 6.3 quake about 1 1/2 hours after that.

"What I can tell you is that there has been no reports of damage or injury in Whitehorse," said an official with the Yukon Emergency Measures Organization.

"We are continuing to assess our infrastructure. There are intermittent power failures within Whitehorse. Sir, I have got to go. There is another earthquake happening."

Earthquakes over a magnitude of six can cause damage to buildings, even well-built ones.

Both the National Weather Service in the U.S. and Emergency Info B.C. said the quakes were not expected to trigger a tsunami.

Yukon Community Services Minister John Streiker said on Twitter that Yukon Energy was working with ATCO to restore power outages and to check dams and substations for damage.

"It was a pretty good shake," said Jean, who works at Bernies Gas Station in Whitehorse. She would not give her last name.

"At first I thought my fridge was not starting properly. My poor old cats got big eyes.

"My one employee just came in and said she had stuff coming off of her shelves. Our power was off."

Dustin Davis felt the shaking in Carcross, Yukon, about 75 kilometres south of Whitehose.

"Our house shook a bit but nothing is damaged," he said.

"I haven't left my house, but most of the homes around here are maximum two storeys, and in Carcross there are no real tall structures and I think everything can handle a decent little shake." </s> A series of powerful earthquakes struck Monday in the northern tip of British Columbia near the border with Alaska and Yukon.

No injuries or serious damage have been reported so far.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a 6.3-magnitude quake hit 85 kilometres west-northwest of Skagway, Alaska at about 7:18 a.m. local time (14:18 UTC) at the depth of 2.2 kilometres.

This was the latest in the series of at least a dozen tremors that shook the area since a 6.2-magnitude quake shook residents of Whitehorse out of their beds at about 5:31 a.m. local time (12:31 UTC). It was centred 88 kilometres west-northwest of Skagway at a depth of 2.2 kilometres. Natural Resources Canada estimated the depth of the quake at 10 kilometres.

Several Twitter users reported feeling tremors, including many in Whitehorse, about 180 kilometres away. </s> A 6.6 magnitude earthquake has rocked buildings in the US state of Alaska and caused lamp posts and trees to sway, prompting people to run out of offices and seek shelter under office desks.

A 6.6 magnitude earthquake has rocked buildings in the US state of Alaska and caused lamp posts and trees to sway, prompting people to run out of offices and seek shelter under office desks.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was centred about seven miles north of Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage.

An Associated Press reporter working in Anchorage saw cracks in a two-storey building after the quake.

It was unclear whether there were injuries.

People went back inside buildings after the earthquake but a smaller aftershock a short time later sent them running back into the streets again.

Shortly after the quake, a tsunami warning was issued for the southern Alaska coastal areas of Cook’s Inlet and part of the Kenai peninsula.

The US Geological Survey initially said it was a 6.7 magnitude earthquake and then reduced the magnitude to 6.6. </s> (UPI) — Parts of Alaska and Canada braced for more aftershocks after two major earthquakes rattled the region on Monday.

The first earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck about 60 miles northwest of Haines, Alaska, and was felt across hundreds of miles of southeast Alaska and northwest Canada.

“it was a pretty good little roller,” said Tim Holm, a Haines Borough emergency medical technician, and firefighter. “It pretty much woke up the whole town.”

The second, less than two hours later, registered a magnitude of 6.3 in nearly the same location, the Alaska Earthquake Center said. No damage was reported.

There have been 13,676 earthquakes reported in Alaska this year, the AEC said.

Seismologist Natalia Ruppert put the quakes’ epicenters in British Columbia and warned “pretty strong” aftershocks are expected. The biggest recorded so far was a magnitude 4.7

Michael West, a seismologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said both earthquakes were the same magnitude as ones that killed 250 people in Italy last August.

“A 6.3, 6.4, 6.5 magnitude quake like this one, it’s scary as hell if you’re right on top of it,” he said. “People need to be respectful of a quake this size.” </s> A major earthquake in northwest British Columbia shook up communities in nearby Alaska and Yukon Territory but caused no apparent damage. Kathryn Carl, a teacher in the Alaska village of Klukwan about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the epicenter, said the magnitude 6.2 quake shook her awake at 4:30 a.m. Carl thought her 80-pound Karelian bear dog had jumped on the bed.

“She was sitting there,” Carl said. “She knew about it before we did.” A series of aftershocks, including a magnitude 6.3 quake at 6:18 a.m., kept Carl from getting a restful night’s sleep. Students at Klukwan School, where Carl is head teacher, took the quake in stride. It wasn’t even the main topic of conversation.

“They’re going fishing,” Carl said. “They’re getting ready for a hooligan trip.” Hooligan are a type of smelt. The first earthquake struck about 83 miles (134 kilometers) southwest of Whitehorse, Canada.

Richard Graham, acting director of infrastructure and operations for the city of Whitehorse, said officials inspected major structures afterward. They found no damage but had to reset traffic lights because the quake knocked out power to parts of the Yukon capital.

Jay Massie, manager of Atco Electric Yukon, said the first quake shut down one of three major Whitehorse substations and affected 8,000 customers. Power was almost restored when a shorter, magnitude 6.3 aftershock affected the station again.

Power to most customers was restored within two hours. Massie was preparing to take his daughter to swimming lessons when the first quake hit. It started slow, built to a crescendo and woke up everyone in his home, he said.

“It even woke up my teenage daughter, which is very hard to do,” he said. The quake was felt in Alaska’s capital, Juneau, about 134 miles (216 kilometers) to the south. It roused state Rep. Charisse Millett from her sleep and knocked plastic dishware off her counters.

“I am wide awake and super tired now,” said the Anchorage Republican, who has experienced her share of earthquakes but is used to them being shorter.

It’s not uncommon for an aftershock to be larger than the triggering quake, though normally the following quakes are smaller, U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Amy Vaughan said. Other aftershocks ranged from magnitudes 2 to 5.

Vaughan said the shallow initial quake had the potential to cause damage but the remote location dropped the chances of major problems. Juneau emergency programs manager Tom Mattice said he received no reports of damage. Rep. Scott Kawasaki, who said he sleeps in his Capitol office at least twice a week to get work done, also was jolted awake.

The Fairbanks Democrat said he was trying to fall back asleep on the couch when the second quake hit. A video he posted on Twitter showed liquid shaking in an energy drink bottle on a table. He said he was reminded of the recent renovation of the Capitol, meant to fortify it against earthquakes.

“I was thinking about all the construction work that went into the Capitol, specifically on seismic control,” he said. “So I’m glad the Capitol didn’t fall into the channel.”

Jaimie Lawson, a 911 dispatcher with the Skagway Police Department, said the town 55 miles (89 kilometers) away from the quake did not receive reports of damage or injuries from the initial shaking.

Computers slid around in the mobile home that houses police operations in the valley town of 800, she said, and it was the first earthquake she felt that forced her to stand up to get her bearings.

Heath Scott, chief of police in Haines, about 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) southeast of the quake epicenter, said it shook a picture frame off his file cabinet. He saw no damage as he toured the city of 2,500. The geological survey website recorded hundreds of reports of people feeling the shaking.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App now
A series of earthquakes, the largest registering 6.3, strike near Mosquito Lake, Alaska, near the Alaskan border with British Columbia, Canada. At least one office building and two schools were heavily damaged and evacuated in the Yukon.