WASHINGTON - A MODERATE earthquake measuring 5.6 hit the Alaska Peninsula late on Friday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, the US government said.

The epicentre of the tremor, which occurred at 6.19 pm (02.19 GMT, 10.19am Singapore time), was located 94 kilometres southeast of King Cove, Alaska, the US Geological Survey said.

The reading was based on the open-ended Moment Magnitude scale, now used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released. -- AFP