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Massive quake strikes off Solomon Islands



Magnitude 8.0 quake struck near Santa Cruz islands, briefly triggering tsunami warnings for several Pacific nations.



A powerful earthquake has struck off the Solomon Islands, and generated a tsunami of up to 1.5 metres that damaged dozens of homes in the South Pacific island chain, but authorities cancelled warnings for tsunamis on more distant coasts.

The US Geological Survey said the magnitude 8.0 quake struck at 01:12 GMT on Wednesday near the Santa Cruz Islands, part of the Solomon Islands nation, which have been hit by a series of strong tremors over the past week.

"No tsunami threat exists for other coastal areas although some may experience small sea level changes," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

Solomons officials reported two 1.5-metre waves hit the western side of Santa Cruz Island, damaging around 50 homes and properties, said George Herming, a spokesperson for the prime minister.

There were no reports of injuries or deaths. Villagers were heading for higher ground as a precaution, Herming said.

The region has a population of around 30,000 people.

Tsunami waves

The centre said a tsunami of about a metre was measured in Lata wharf, in the Solomon Islands, and that an 11-centimetre wave was observed in neighbouring Vanuatu.




"No tsunami threat exists for other coastal areas although some may experience small sea level changes

- Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre





The centre cancelled earlier warnings for tsunami waves further away.

In Honiara, the warnings had prompted residents to flee for higher ground.

"People are still standing on the hills outside of Honiara just looking out over the water, trying to observe if there is a wave coming in," Herming said.

So far, he had received no reports that a wave had been spotted in Honiara.

Atenia Tahu, who works for the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation in Honiara, said most people were remaining calm.

"People around the coast and in the capital are ringing in and trying to get information from us and the National Disaster Office and are slowly moving up to higher ground," Tahu said. "But panic? No, no, no, people are not panicking."

An official at the disaster management office in Vanuatu said there were no reports of damage or injuries there.

More than 50 people were killed and thousands lost their homes in April 2007 when a magnitude 8.1 quake hit the western Solomon Islands, sending waves crashing into coastal villages.

The Solomons comprise more than 200 islands with a population of about 552,000 people. They lie on the "Ring of Fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim and where about 90 percent of the world's quakes occur.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck 81km west of Lata, at a depth of 5.8km. The warning area does not include Hawaii and North and South America.

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