Tsunami warning cancelled for Alaska, Canada after 7.5 quake

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A powerful earthquake sparked a tsunami warning for hundreds of miles of Alaskan and Canadian coastline, but the alert was cancelled when no damaging waves were generated.

The magnitude 7.5 quake and tsunami warning that followed caused concern in some coastal communities, with alarms sounding and people rushing to higher ground for safety.

But the Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre later said the waves were too small to pose a threat, reaching just 15cm above normal sea level in places such as Sitka and Port Alexander.

"Initially, in the first 15 to 20 minutes, there might have been a bit of panic," said Sitka Police Chief Sheldon Schmitt. But he said things calmed down as the town waited for the all clear.