Huge Quake of Magnitude 8.2 on Alaska Peninsula Triggers Tsunami Alert

A frozen beach on the Bering Sea coast is seen near the last stretch mushers must pass before the finish line of the Iditarod dog sled race in Nome, Alaska, March 10, 2014. (Photo)

A shallow earthquake of magnitude 8.2 struck the Alaska Peninsula late on Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings in the region, authorities said.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake, which struck at 10:15 pm (0615 GMT Thursday), was at a depth of 35 km.

In Alaska, the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) issued warnings for southern parts, the Peninsula, and Pacific coastal areas from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Unimak Pass.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued a warning for the US state of Hawaii and the US Pacific territory of Guam.

The NTWC said that it was evaluating the level of tsunami danger for other US and Canadian Pacific coastal areas.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) estimated the quake at a magnitude of 8.0 and a depth of 10 km.

The USGS had earlier pegged the magnitude of the quake at 7.2.