A tsunami warning that had been issued for the
central and B.C. coast following a powerful earthquake off the coast
of Alaska early Saturday has been cancelled.
   
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck about 102
kilometres west of Craig, Alaska at about midnight local time and
had a preliminary reading of 7.7, but that has since been downgraded
to magnitude 7.5.
   
The Alaskan tsunami centre initially issued a tsunami warning
that ran from southwest Alaska to the northern tip of Vancouver
island and an advisory that continued south to the Washington State
border.
   
B.C.'s emergency notification centre said no coastal aeas of the
province were at risk after first cautioning that a tsunami had been
generated that could have impacted low-lying coastal areas.
   
The warning area included coastal areas from Cape Fairweather,
Alaska, to the north tip of Vancouver Island _ an area that extended
for more than 1,125 kilometres.
   
Alex Godin, who was working at a Tim Hortons in Prince Rupert,
B.C. when the quake struck, says the tremor was barely noticeable
and ``felt like a bump.''
   
This earthquake was centered not far from the Haida Gwaii region
of B.C., where a magnitude 7.7 quake struck last October but caused
no damage.
   
A brief tsunami alert has been issued, but no giant waves
materialized.

(The Canadian Press)