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Associated Press in Wellington

A powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake triggered large waves in the Solomon Islands on Sunday, and authorities were trying to determine if there was any serious damage or injuries.
Government spokesman George Herming said people throughout the Pacific island chain awoke to the strong quake at 7:14 a.m. He said that people on Makira and nearby islands southeast of the capital, Honiara, reported seeing three large waves after the quake.
He said there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre on Sunday cancelled a tsunami warning after earlier issuing an alert for some Pacific islands. The centre reported that sea level readings indicate a small tsunami was generated that may have caused some destruction near the epicentre.

The US Geological Survey reported the epicentre was 323 kilometres southeast of Honiara, at a depth of 29 kilometres.
The Solomon Islands, home to 600,000 people, was already reeling from devastating flash floods that struck Honiara and other areas on April 3. The floods have killed 23 people and left 9,000 more homeless. Herming said up to 30 more people remain missing.
“It has really been a tough time,” he said.
Andrew Catford, the Solomon Islands country director for World Vision, said that the aid group’s staff in the Kirakira office in Makira province reported that there was no tsunami, but strong currents and heavy waves pounding the reefs. He said the group’s staff evacuated to higher ground as a precaution.
“We felt this one strongly in Honiara. It was close to 30 seconds long,” he said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre initially issued a warning for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. US officials said there was no threat of a tsunami to the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington state, Hawaii or Alaska. Paul Whitmore, director of the National Tsunami Warning Centre in Alaska, said powerful waves posed no threat to the US West Coast or Canada after the quake.
The Solomon Islands lies on the “Ring of Fire” – an arc of earthquake and volcanic activity that stretches around the Pacific Rim.
 


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Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands struck by 7.6 magnitude quake, tsunami warning dropped

The Solomon Islands, which have been badly affected by recent floods, were hot by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

A US Geological Survey map shows the location and intensity of the earthquake near the coast of the Solomon Islands on Sunday. Photo: EPA

Six dead, 10,500 homeless after flash flood hits Solomons capital Honiara

Flash flooding killed at least three people and left 10,000 homeless in Honiara, with another 30 missing and the death toll expected to rise. Photo: AFP

Flood waters in a street in the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara. Photo: AFP

People walk past water clogged with debris at a port in the Solomon Islands' capital Honiara. Photo: AFP

Tsunami panic in South Pacific after major quake hits Solomon Islands

After the house was swept away by a Tsunami, the foundations mark the spot where a home used to be. Photo: AP

Aftershocks hamper relief in tsunami-hit Solomons

Damage to homes in the village of Louva, caused by a tsunami in the Santa Cruz Islands region of the Solomons Islands. Photo: AFP

News

World

Powerful quake strikes Solomon Islands early on Sunday but not damage or injuries reported. Tsunami warning issued but later cancelled
