World Briefs: Magnitude 7.7 quake strikes off Canadian coast

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck off the west coast of Canada, but no major damage was reported.

Residents in parts of British Columbia were evacuated, but the province appeared to withstand the biggest quake in Canada since 1949 largely unscathed.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor hit the Queen Charlotte Islands just after 8 p.m. local time Saturday at a depth of about 3 miles and was centered 96 miles south of Masset.

It was felt across a wide area in British Columbia, on its Pacific islands and on the mainland.

The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of British Columbia, southern Alaska and Hawaii, but later canceled it for the first two and downgraded it to an advisory for Hawaii.

GUINEA-BISSAU

Coup attempt leader arrested in Guinea-Bissau

BISSAU — The soldier who led a failed coup attempt last week in Guinea-Bissau was arrested, the spokesman for the armed forces said Sunday.

Pansau Ntchama was arrested Saturday outside the capital, Bissau, said spokesman Dahaba Na Walna.

He said the country’s former army chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Zamora Induta, was also behind the Oct. 21 coup attempt.

Mr. Ntchama was a commando and Gen. Induta’s bodyguard before the former army chief fled Guinea-Bissau in the wake of a coup in April.

Gen. Induta is now in Portugal, Mr. Walna said.

Mr. Ntchama sought exile in Portugal after allegedly carrying out the 2009 assassination of Guinea-Bissau’s former president.

The government last week said that Mr. Ntchama traveled from Portugal to Gambia, then to Angola to pick up arms, and into Guinea-Bissau to carry out the attack.

Gunmen led by Mr. Ntchama attacked a military base near the airport in Bissau on Oct. 21, and six soldiers were killed in the clash. At least four of the six killed were assailants working with Mr. Ntchama.

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