UPDATE 1 -- Tsunami warnings issued following powerful quake in Alaska

UPDATE 1 -- Tsunami warnings issued following powerful quake in Alaska

2011-09-02 18:31:49 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- A tsunami warning was issued for some coastal areas in Alaska after a powerful earthquake struck southeast of Amukta Pass on early Friday morning, officials said.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake at 1.55 a.m. local time (1055 GMT) was centered about 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of Amukta Pass, which is about 107 miles (172 kilometers) east of Adak. It struck about 22.1 miles (35.5 kilometers) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS said it was unlikely that anyone felt the earthquake as nearby islands are mostly uninhabited.

As a result of the powerful earthquake, the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of Alaska from Unimak Pass to Amchitka Pass. Unimak Pass is 80 miles (128 kilometers) northeast of the Dutch Harbor, while Amchitka Pass is 125 miles (201 kilometers) west of Adak.

"A Tsunami Warning means that all coastal residents in the warning area who are near the beach or in low-lying regions should move immediately inland to higher ground and away from all harbors and inlets including those sheltered directly from the sea," the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin.

It added: "Those feeling the earth shake, seeing unusual wave action, or the water level rising or receding may have only a few minutes before the tsunami arrival and should move immediately. Homes and small buildings are not designed to withstand tsunami impacts. Do not stay in these structures." No tsunami warnings were issued for other areas of Alaska.

On June 24, a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck 39 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Amukta Island, a small uninhabited island between the Fox Islands and the Andreanof Islands in the Aleutian Islands. There were no casualties and no tsunamis were observed.

The sparsely populated region of Alaska is occasionally struck by powerful earthquakes. Most notably, an enormous 9.2-magnitude earthquake struck north of Prince William Sound in Alaska on March 27, 1964, unleashing a tsunami which killed at least 143 people.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-02