Hawaii on tsunami alert: Hawaii Earthquake magnitude-7.7

Hawaii is on tsunami alert after a strong magnitude-7.7 earthquake shook the Queen Charlotte Islands off the west coast of Canada.

The first waves reached Hawaii just after 7:30pm (AEDT); however, authorities say the first wave is rarely the biggest.

Canadian media reports say the quake, which occurred at 8:04pm on Saturday (local time) was felt in Haida Gwaii Island and in parts of British Columbia including Prince Rupert, Quesnel and Houston.

The tsunami warning in Hawaii has prompted over 100,000 people to move to higher ground.

Follow ABC Online's live coverage as events unfold. All times (AEDT):

9:04pm: Queensland Rugby League says an Indigenous rugby league team is on tour in Hawaii, but they are not in danger.

The team has been in Hawaii since Tuesday as part of the Arthur Beetson Foundation Murri Queensland Tour.

QRL Media Manager Michael Hillier says former NRL player Tony Currie is touring with the side and the team and officials are waiting it out on high ground.

Tsunami alert

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued the Hawaii alert and people living in coastal areas have been told to move to higher ground.

In Hawaii, tsunami warning sirens could be heard blaring out across Honolulu, the state capital on Oahu, the state's most populous island.

The alarms prompted an immediate crush of traffic, with many motorists stopping first at service stations to top up with petrol.

At cinemas, films were halted in mid-screening as announcements were made urging patrons to return to their homes.

The last time Oahu had a tsunami warning was after the devastating Japanese earthquake of March 2011.

On Waikiki Beach, residents of high-rise buildings were told to move to the third floor or higher for safety.

There were no reports of casualties or damage in Canada.

The epicentre of the tremor was located 139 kilometres south of the town of Masset, the US Geological Survey said.

The West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre issued a warning for coasts located near the epicentre of the quake.

The alert extended south to the US states of Washington, Oregon and northern California.

ABC/AFP

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-28/77-quake-strikes-off-canada-west-coast/4337966