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Magnitude-6.0 earthquake near Yukon-Alaska border

WHITEHORSE — A magnitude-6.0 earthquake rattled parts of Yukon early Thursday morning.

The earthquake was recorded just before 5 a.m. along the Yukon-Alaska border. The U.S. Geological Survey placed the epicentre on the Alaska side of the border about 300 kilometres west of Whitehorse.

An earthquake report on Natural Resources Canada’s website said the quake was felt in Whitehorse and surrounding areas.

The quake was enough to wake up Hardy Ruf, whose home near Haines Junction, Yukon, is about 200 kilometres east of the epicentre.

“We woke up and the house was shaking and the lamp was swinging from one side to another above our heads,” said Ruf, 60, who runs the Dalton Trail Lodge.

Ruf said he didn’t notice any damage.

Earthquakes are not unusual in the region. Ruf said he feels about one or two a year.

“I’d say this was about average,” he said. “We’re kind of used to it.”

Darren Moorhouse, 46, was asleep in his home north of Whitehorse when the shaking began.

“I was dreaming about some weird thing with noises and stuff in it, and I woke up and the dream continued on and it was my place shaking,” said Moorhouse.

“You just lie there and wait for it to run its course hoping nothing worse happens.”

The U.S. Geological Survey’s website said there were more than a dozen smaller quakes after the initial one.

Source: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/magnitude-6-0-earthquake-near-yukon-alaska-border-1.1918408