An earthquake off the west coast of Canada has triggered a tsunami that is headed toward the U.S. state of Hawaii, The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center announced early Sunday.

"A tsunami has been generated that could cause damage along the coastline of all islands in the state of Hawaii," the center warned.

The center said "urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property."

The expected arrival time of the tsunami is 10:28 p.m. local time Saturday (0828 GMT Sunday).

The announcement came after a major 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook the Queen Charlotte Islands off the west coast of Canada late Saturday.

The epicenter of the tremor, which occurred at 8:04 pm (0304 GMT Sunday) was located 139 kilometers (86 miles) south of the town of Masset, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Numerous aftershocks, some as large as magnitude 4.6, followed the initial quake, Canadian officials reported. (AFP)