British Columbia earthquake tsunami warning
© U.S. Geological SurveyThis photo released by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the area where a 7.7 magnitude earthquake is reported to have struck the north-central coast of British Columbia.
A tsunami warning was issued late Saturday for the coastal areas of northwest British Columbia following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake off the waters near Prince Rupert. It was followed by at least aftershocks.

People in coastal areas were told to move inland to higher ground while residents in low-lying coastal areas were ordered to be on alert for instructions from their local emergency officials after the tsunami warning was issued just before 8 p.m. local time.

The epicentre was reported in coastal waters about 40 kilometres south of Sandspit, B.C. at a depth of 19 kilometres.

Natural Resources Canada issued a statement Saturday: "A major earthquake occurred in the Haida Gwaii region. It was felt across much of north-central B.C., including Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert, Quesnel and Houston. There have been no reports of damage at this time."

Dave Martynuik, who lives in the village of Queen Charlotte in the Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands), described the quake to the Star by phone.

"We were just sitting down relaxing and all of a sudden - boom! I thought it was a major landslide," said Martynuik. "The epicentre had to be right close to us because the power went out right away. The quake seemed to last forever."

He said he grabbed his sleeping son and they hung onto cabinets and plants as the house shook. His wife and his daughter had already run outside.

"I'm still kind of shaking. It was just pure hell - totally rocked the house," he said.

Martynuik, who served in the auxiliary Coast Guard, said he talked to someone at the local marina who said the boats were leaping out of the water into air.

Some people reported feeling the quake as far south as the greater Vancouver area. NDP MLA Mike Farnworth was tweeting that lights in Port Coquitlam were swaying just after 8 p.m.

"We felt the quake," Farnworth tweeted

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued the tsunami warning for coastal areas from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to Cape Decision, 135 kilometres southeast of Sitka, Alaska.

It said there was the possibility of "widespread dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents."

The U.S. Geological Survey told the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii that "based on all available data a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii."