7.7 magnitude quake hits Canada's British Columbia

(Reuters) - A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 hit Canada's Pacific coastal province of British Columbia late Saturday, setting off a small tsunami, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, officials said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said an earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude had hit the province, centered 123 miles south-southwest of Prince Rupert at a depth of 6.2 miles.

Earthquakes Canada said the quake in the Haida Gwaii region has been followed by numerous aftershocks as large as 4.6 and said a small tsunami has been recorded by a deep ocean pressure sensor.

"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," the agency said in a statement on its website.

Officials with Emergency Management B.C. said in a conference call that while power supply had been hit in some areas, there was no major damage reported.

Some communities on the Haida Gwaii islands, as well as Port Edward in the northwest of the province were being evacuated as a precaution.

The provincial agency issued a tsunami warning for the north coast and Haida Gwaii, as well as for central coast communities like Bella Coola, Bella Bella and Shearwater.

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