Tsunami alert issued after earthquake in Alaska

A magnitude 8.2 earthquake hit the Gulf of Alaska in the early hours of Tuesday, prompting warnings of a possible tsunami down the Canadian and US west coast.

Local radio on the Alaskan island of Kodiak, close to the epicenter, urged listeners to move away from coastal areas.

"This is a tsunami warning. this is not a drill. Please get out to higher ground," said the announcer on KMXT public radio. "If you are on the flats, get up on one of the hills ... Just go high."

Hawaii, which was earlier said to be at risk, is no longer considering the tsunami watch, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

"Based on all available data there is no tsunami threat to the state of Hawaii. Therefore ... the tsunami watch for Hawaii is now canceled," it said.

No reports of casualties 

There were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

The quake hit around 250 km southeast of Chiniak, Alaska at a depth of 25 km at 0931 GMT, the US Geological Survey said.

"If you are located in this coastal area, move inland to higher ground. Tsunami warnings mean that a tsunami with significant inundation is possible or is already occurring," the Anchorage Office of Emergency Management said in a warning for Alaska and British Columbia.

Coastal areas in western US alerted

A tsunami watch for the entire US west coast and Hawaii were issued.

"Based on all available data a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

If a tsunami is generated, it could reach Hawaii by 1423 GMT at the earliest, it added.

Japan's meteorological agency said it was monitoring the situation but did not issue a tsunami alert.