Three earthquakes rattle Alaska-Yukon border area within minutes just before Jan. 1

A person drives a truck across the Carcross Dunes in Carcross, Yukon, on Friday, July 25, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

HAINES JUNCTION — Earthquakes Canada says it registered three earthquakes in the same region near the Yukon-Alaska border within minutes of each other, little more than an hour before the stroke of midnight Dec. 31.

It says the first earthquake struck with a magnitude of 5.7 in Alaska about 140 kilometres west of Haines Junction, Yukon, just before 11:47 p.m. local time.

Earthquakes Canada says the earthquake could be felt in Whitehorse but did not receive any reports of damage, and none were expected.

It says an aftershock with a magnitude of 5.0 struck at around 10:51 p.m. about 142 kilometres west of Haines Junction, followed by an earthquake of 5.3 magnitude about 143 kilometres west of Haines Junction just before 10:55 p.m.

Earthquakes Canada says the third and final earthquake could also be “lightly felt” in Whitehorse, but did not receive any reports of damage.

On Dec. 6, an earthquake with magnitude of 7.0 struck the near Alaska-Yukon border about 120 kilometres west of Haines Junction.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2026.

By Wolfgang Depner in Victoria