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Strong quake hits Solomons
16/08/2007 15:34 - (SA)
Honiara - A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit in shallow water off the Solomon Islands on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake struck at a depth of just 1.8km below the sea and 73km west of Honiara, the capital of the Pacific island nation, the service said on its website.
No damage or injuries were immediately reported from the Solomon Islands, which was hit by a massive 8.0-maginitude earthquake and tsunami on April 2 that left more than 50 dead and thousands displaced.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii did not issue a tsunami warning following the latest quake, saying there was no real risk of a widespread destructive tsunami, but warned that local tidal waves remained possible.
"Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a 100km of the earthquake epicentre," it said.
Authorities at the Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office said no reports of damage or injuries in the islands had been received.
"At this stage we have not received any reports of damage or injury, but there are a couple of villages in the immediate area," a spokesperson said.
Witnesses said no significant damage was immediately apparent but nervous families were moving away from the coastline in the capital.
- AFP
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