WASHINGTON/VANCOUVER, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake of 7.7 magnitude jolted Queen Charlotte Islands off the western coast of Canada on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The epicenter, with a depth of 17.5 km, was 202 km southwest of Prince Rupert in Canada's British Columbia province, a coastal city 745 km north of Vancouver.
No casualties or damage have been reported so far.
According to government agency Natural Resources Canada, the quake hit 69 km west-southwest of Queen Charlotte City at 8:04 p.m. local time (0304 GMT).
Queen Charlotte Islands, now known as Haida Gwaii, consist of two main islands. The sparsely populated area is home to nearly 4,000 people.
It was felt across much of north-central British Colombia, said the agency, which listed the quake at 7.1 magnitude.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a tsunami at the moment.
However, Earthquake Canada said the tsunami warning issued by Environment Canada was in effect for coastal areas for the northern tip of Vancouver Island and elsewhere in British Columbia, as well as Alaska.
Sharon Schultz, a dispatcher for the Queen Charlotte City fire department, told Xinhua that low-lying areas and the beach had been evacuated in the community of just over 1,000 people and no damage had been reported.
"Looks like we survived it," she said. "It was frightening and it was very loud, and it went on for probably 20 to 25 seconds. There were lots of little tremors afterward."
Schultz said the area frequently got small tremors, but Saturday's quake was the biggest she had felt.
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