Twin Powerful Quakes Strike Solomon Islands, No Tsunami Threat to U.S., Pacific Regions
Solomon Islands has been struck by twin powerful quakes on Sunday. A 7.6 tremor woke the residents of Solomon's capital Honiara early Sunday. The second, also powerful 7.5, struck almost at midnight. Reports of casualties and damages have yet to be made.
"So far we have received no reports of damage," Constable Taylor Fugo from the Kira Kira police told Reuters. "The people responded very well to the (tsunami) warning. They all went up the hills and have been watching and waiting for advice."
An earlier issued tsunami warning for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea were later cancelled by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
U.S. officials likewise ruled out a tsunami threat to the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii or Alaska.
The morning temblor, which first struck at 7:14 am, was followed by a 5.9-magnitude aftershock 10 minutes later. Its epicentre was recorded about 300 kilometres from the capital city of Honiara.
The evening temblor with a depth of 35 kilometres (22 miles) occurred at 11:36 pm local time (1236 GMT), 111 kilometres south of Kirakira in the Solomon Islands.
Locals have been warned by the National Disaster Council to stay away from low-lying areas as the islands experienced high waves, the AFP reported.
"People are moving away from the coasts and are going up into the hills, but I have not heard of any damage," Dorothy Wickham, a resident from Honiara, told AFP.
Just a week ago, 19 people died from after Solomon Islands got engulfed from a massive flash flood following days of heavy rain.
Cyclone Ita brought those massive rainfalls.
Read: North Queensland Advised to Brace for Tropical Cyclone Ita, Left 19 Dead, Massive Floods in Solomon Islands (PHOTOS)