7.0-magnitude earthquake rattles Alaska; US declares emergency

US federal authorities issued an emergency declaration for Alaska after a magnitude 7 earthquake struck on Friday, which left thousands without electricity and temporarily shut the state’s most important oil pipeline.

The authorities have been directed to provide assistance for Anchorage as well as Kenai Peninsular and Matanuska-Susitna boroughs, according to an alert from the Department of Homeland Security. The temblor hit 8 miles north of Anchorage.

The earthquake affected the 800-mile Trans Alaska Pipeline System that carries crude from the Arctic coast to the marine terminal in Valdez, which was shut for seven hours. It was was restarted late Friday, Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. spokeswoman Michelle Egan said by phone. The line, which has the capacity to move 2 million barrels a day, had transported 530,000 barrels on Thursday.

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker said it will take more than a week or two to repair roads damaged by the powerful earthquake. The Anchorage airport was reopened Friday afternoon and is operating at reduced capacity, a state official told the Associated Press.

Alaska Air Group Inc. said it temporarily suspended operations at the Anchorage airport following the quake. “We understand there’s considerable damage being reported” at the airport, the company said in a statement.

Progress was made late Friday to restore electricity to the thousands of homes, while city workers were also responding to reports of 28 mainline water breaks and dozens of requests to cut off residential service because of flooding, the Associated Press reported.