Hawaiians on edge after earthquake

HONOLULU – Aftershocks kept Hawaiians on edge following the strongest earthquake in more than two decades, a 6,6-magnitude quake that caused blackouts and landslides and prompted vacationers to flee their hotels.

There were no reports of fatalities, but the state Civil Defence had several reports of minor injuries. Governor Linda Lingle issued a disaster declaration for the state.The quake hit at 7:07 a.m.local time on Sunday, 16 kilometres north-northwest of Kailua-Kona, a town on the west coast of Hawaii Island, also known as the Big Island, said Don Blakeman of the National Earthquake Information Centre, part of the US Geological Survey.”We were rocking and rolling,” said Anne LaVasseur, who was on the second floor of a two-story, wood-framed house on the east side of the Big Island when the temblor struck.”I was pretty scared.We were swaying back and forth, like King Kong’s pushing your house back and forth.”Lingle, who was in a hotel near the epicentre of the quake, said the most serious injury reported to her was a broken arm.The Pacific Tsunami Centre reported a preliminary magnitude of 6,5, while the US Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude of 6,6.Some power had been restored late Sunday in Maui, parts of Honolulu and other places, but many remained in the dark.Nampa-APGovernor Linda Lingle issued a disaster declaration for the state.The quake hit at 7:07 a.m.local time on Sunday, 16 kilometres north-northwest of Kailua-Kona, a town on the west coast of Hawaii Island, also known as the Big Island, said Don Blakeman of the National Earthquake Information Centre, part of the US Geological Survey.”We were rocking and rolling,” said Anne LaVasseur, who was on the second floor of a two-story, wood-framed house on the east side of the Big Island when the temblor struck.”I was pretty scared.We were swaying back and forth, like King Kong’s pushing your house back and forth.”Lingle, who was in a hotel near the epicentre of the quake, said the most serious injury reported to her was a broken arm.The Pacific Tsunami Centre reported a preliminary magnitude of 6,5, while the US Geological Survey gave a preliminary magnitude of 6,6.Some power had been restored late Sunday in Maui, parts of Honolulu and other places, but many remained in the dark.Nampa-AP