A tow truck holds a car that was pulled from on an off-ramp that collapsed during a morning earthquake on Friday, Nov. 30, 2018, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: AP)

Alaska (People's Daily) - A severe magnitude 7.0 earthquake has shaken Anchorage, the largest city in the US state of Alaska.

It occurred around 8:30 a.m. local time and had an epicenter about 7 miles (12 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

The earthquake caused lamp posts and trees to sway, prompting people to run out of offices and seek shelter under office desks.

The US Geological Survey initially said it was a 6.7 magnitude quake, then reduced that to 6.6 and later upgraded it to 7.0.

The National Tsunami Warning Center has issued a warning for coastal zones of southern Alaska.

According to Associated Press reports, Alaska averages 40,000 earthquakes per year, with more large quakes than the other 49 states combined.

On March 27, 1964, Alaska was hit by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake, the strongest recorded in US history, centered about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Anchorage.

The quake, which lasted about 4½ minutes and the tsunami it triggered, claimed about 130 lives.