A powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska early Tuesday, sparking tsunami warnings along the Pacific coasts of the US and Canada that were later called off.

The quake struck at 12:31 am (0931 GMT) in the Gulf of Alaska, 280 kilometers (175 miles) southeast of the town of Kodiak, the US Geological Survey said, revising a preliminary estimate of 8.2 magnitude.

The epicenter was 10 kilometers under the seabed.

The National Tsunami Warning Center did confirm a tsunami, meaning the water levels were slightly above normal.

Waves of less than one foot (30 centimeters) were detected in parts of southern Alaska, authorities said. As a precaution, officials in those areas encouraged residents to remain at higher ground.

But the monitoring center later canceled warnings and watches for coastal regions in Alaska, Canada's British Columbia and the US West Coast "because additional information and analysis have better defined the threat."

Heather Rand, who was 580 kilometers away in Anchorage, told CNN it felt like the longest earthquake she had ever experienced.

"It was a very long, slow build up. Creepy, more than anything. Definitely the longest, and I was born here," Rand said, adding the only damage was cracks in the wall.

So far, no quake damage or large waves have been reported in Kodiak, which is on an island off the coast, police spokesman Tim Putney told AFP.

"We are half an hour beyond the time we were told the first wave might hit. Nothing has happened," he said around 1115 GMT.

"We have people with their eyes on the sea, from a safe distance," Putney added.

USGS said that the quake occurred "as the result of strike slip faulting," explaining that it was in a location where two plates converged.

In the past century, 11 earthquakes of similar magnitudes have struck within 600 kilometers of Tuesday's earthquake, USGS said.

Strong quake sparks panic in Indonesia
Jakarta (AFP) Jan 23, 2018 - A strong earthquake rattled Indonesia Tuesday, sparking panic, damaging scores of homes and leaving at least half a dozen students seriously injured.

Office workers in the capital Jakarta rushed outside as highrises began swaying, while some riders were thrown off their motorbikes by the force of the 6.0 magnitude rumble.

There were no reports of fatalities, but the government said six students were seriously hurt after the roof collapsed at their high school at Cianjur on Java island near the epicentre of the quake. Two other students sustained minor injuries.

"I was sitting when the building suddenly started shaking," said Jakarta department store worker Suji, 35, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"I ran outside the building. It was quite strong and I was afraid."

The United States Geological Survey said the 6.0 magnitude quake struck at a depth of 43 kilometres (27 miles).

There was no warning of any tsunami.

"So far we have counted at least 115 homes" that have been damaged, Abu Salim, a spokesman for volunteer disaster relief group Tagana, told AFP.

"The damage ranges from minor...to serious" cases, including partially collapsed walls.

The epicentre was off the coast, about 130 kilometres southwest of Jakarta, a huge city of more than 10 million people.

"The epicentre is in an area prone to quakes. More aftershocks are very likely," Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics agency chief Dwikorita Karnawati told Metro TV.

"I'm calling on people to be prepared, especially if you are in buildings with a weak structure," he added.

The tremor came as US Defense Secretary James Mattis was in Jakarta for an official visit.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

At least three people were killed following a 6.5-magnitude earthquake just outside the coastal town of Cipatujah on Java island in mid-December.

The tremor was felt across the densely populated island, causing damage to hundreds of houses and other buildings.

An earthquake struck Indonesia's western province of Aceh in December 2016, killing more than 100 people, injuring many more and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Aceh was one of the areas worst hit by the devastating 2004 tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra.

The wall of waves killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.

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Strong quake rocks Jakarta, 6.0 magnitude: USGS
Jakarta (AFP) Jan 23, 2018
Indonesia's capital Jakarta was rocked Tuesday by a strong earthquake which forced some buildings to be evacuated, but there was no immediate tsunami threat or reported injuries, a government agency said. The United States Geological Survey said the 6.0 magnitude quake struck at a depth of 43 kilometres (27 miles). That contrasted with an initial report from the Indonesian Meteorology, C ... read more

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