Two simultaneous earthquakes caused alarm on Vancouver Island Friday afternoon.
The quakes, struck at 12:40 p.m. and were located close together off the coast of the Island, 50 miles from Port Alice.
One of the quakes was 23 kilometres deep and measured 6.4 on the Richter scale, while the other was only two kilomtres deep and measured 6.7.
A bulletin from the Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) said there are no areas of coastal British Columbia at risk because of the quakes.
The tremblor, which lasted for 15 to 20 seconds, was felt strongly by Bowser resident Gail Carr.
“I was sitting at my computer and the whole house shook — the floor, the roof, everything,” she said. “even the hanging plant was moving in the kitchen.”
Carr ran outside and remained there as she waited to see if more quakes would come.
Qualicum Woods resident Myrett Drummond also felt the shaking.
“The desk and chair were going in a small circle,” she said. “I’ve got a fan with hanging controls and they were swinging a bit, too, but not wildly.”
In a statement, Simon Fraser Unversitygeologist Brent Ward said the quake likely originated from stress built up due to the oceanic Juan de Fuca plate subducting under the North American plate.
“This quake would have been most strongly felt in small communities on the west coast of Vancouver Island, such as Gold River and Zebalos, and possibly in Tofino and Ucluelet,” he said.
Check back with The News for updated developments.
