Striking images from Alaska after earthquake rocks Anchorage

A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday shook buildings, collapsed roads and triggered at least nine aftershocks — producing a lot of dramatic images. No serious injuries were immediately reported.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake, centered about 7.5 miles north of Anchorage, occurred at about 8:29 a.m. local time, triggering a tsunami warning and forcing a ground stop at Anchorage International Airport.

A car is trapped on a collapsed section of a ramp in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. (Photo: Dan Joling/AP)
A car is trapped on a collapsed section of a ramp in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. (Photo: Dan Joling/AP)

Among the first images of damage to emerge was of a buckled highway ramp near the airport with a single car left stranded on it.

Similar roadway damage was seen in Chugiak, Alaska, in a Snapchat video.

Smoke could be seen billowing in another video posted to social media.

The quake forced the evacuation of KTVA’s newsroom in Anchorage.

A student shared an eerie video from outside his school, which he said was “straight cracked” in half.

Other students could be seen taking cover under desks and folding chairs.

Images and video from inside a grocery store showed extensive, though relatively minor, damage.

Perhaps the most dramatic footage came from inside a courtroom in downtown Anchorage, where the earthquake sent attorneys ducking for cover.

One of the aftershocks set off the metal detectors in the courthouse lobby.

Former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin asked her Twitter followers to pray for the state, saying her home was damaged in the quake.

President Trump, who is in Buenos Aires attending the G-20 summit, said his government would “spare no expense” in helping Alaskans recover.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said the main roadways around Anchorage may not be repaired until spring, which could hurt areas of the state dependent on the city as a port of entry for essential goods and services.

But at least one local company looked to capitalize on the quake.

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