Seismologists said on Tuesday an earthquake struck off Canada’s Pacific coast province of British Columbia.
The US Geological Survey said the 6.6-magnitude quake’s epicenter is 666km northwest of Vancouver. It was followed by a 5.7 magnitude aftershock seven minutes later.
There were no reports of damage and Prince Rupert Royal Canadian Staff Sergeant Jim Vardy said they were not expecting any because it struck about 110km southeast of the Queen Charlotte Islands under the ocean bed in a strait of water. He said there was no threat of a tsunami.
John Cassidy, a seismologist with the Geological Survey of Canada, said that the area is prone to earthquakes, “but this was a big one.”
“It was felt quite strongly across the islands and many people described it as the strongest they’ve felt in several years, but this is one of the most seismically active regions in Canada and a 6.5 earthquake happens every few years,” Cassidy said.
The quake was felt over a wide area of northwestern British Columbia.
Carol Kulesha, the mayor of Queen Charlotte City, said she’d fallen asleep on her couch after watching TV when the quake hit at 7:30am.
“It woke me from a sound sleep,” she said. “It felt like I was on a train.”
Kulesha said the town’s public works staff is surveying the area to make sure no pipes have come apart. She said police and other emergency management officials have reported no damage.
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