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6.1-magnitude quake hits off Vancouver Island
No reports of damage or injuries, which USGA says would be very unlikely
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A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Canada's Vancouver Island early Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The epicenter of the quake, which occurred at 5:37 a.m., was 95 miles off the northwestern tip of the island, said John Bellini of the USGA. Port Hardy was the nearest town to the quake, which was centered 6.2 miles underground.
There was no information on possible injuries, although Bellini said it was unlikely that the quake caused serious damage.
"You generally need a lot larger earthquake to be felt ... it was far off the coast," Bellini told msnbc.com.
The quake was the latest in a series of tremors since Monday. Two quakes rattled the area Wednesday, both with magnitudes of around five. There have been about 25 quakes in this latest so-called swarm, Bellini said.
Seismologists said the tremors are occurring in a "seismically active" region, and they are too far offshore to be felt on land and too small to generate a tsunami.
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