Earthquake strikes off B.C. coast; latest in series of tremors

VANCOUVER, B.C. — A 6.1 magnitude earthquake off Vancouver Island is the latest in a swarm that started Monday, but a Canadian scientist says it's normal activity for the region.

The quake at 5:37 a.m. today occurred six miles under the sea floor 97 miles west of Port Hardy, about 293 miles northwest of Vancouver, B.C.

Garry Rogers of the Geological Survey of Canada says it was too small to trigger a tsunami. He says there were two other quakes Wednesday in the same area with magnitudes around 5 and several tremors earlier in the week.

Rogers says it's one of the more vigorous swarms in the last few years, but they are common in that area and not alarming.