A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake shook Alaska's Aleutian Islands late Thursday, triggering a tsunami warning that sent people heading for high ground before the alert was cancelled. Hundreds of people walked, drove and rode in the back of pickup trucks as they fled the coast after the earthquake struck 80 miles (130 kilometers) north-east of the seafood port of Dutch Harbour, home to some 4,400 people.
The temblor struck at 7:10 pm local time (0300 GMT Friday), triggering a tsunami warning from the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC). Sirens rang out, officials ordered people to move to at least 50 feet above sea level, and fishing boats could be seen steaming out of the harbour as a precaution in case waves strike the coast line.