Magnitude-5.8 quake rattles Anchorage

An earthquake struck Anchorage, Alaska, Monday afternoon. Earthquakes are common in Alaska, which is one of the most seismically active parts of the US.

A magnitude-5.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Alaska on Monday, close to the city of Anchorage, rattling buildings and knocking bric-a-brac from shelves, but no serious damage or injuries were reported.

The tremor, initially reported as a magnitude 5.7, struck at 4:42 p.m. (8:42 p.m. EST) 25 miles west of Anchorage, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake, relatively shallow at a depth of 33.1 miles, was widely felt in Anchorage, according to Guy Urban, a geophysicist for the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska.

"Some people in Anchorage said some things fell off the shelves," he told Reuters, adding that the center was unaware of any severe property damage or anyone being hurt.

Quakes of similar strength are fairly common in Alaska, one of the most seismically active parts of the United States.

Reporting by Yereth Rosen in Anchorage. Additional reporting by Sandra Maler in Washington; editing by Steve Gorman and Sandra Maler