Natural Disaster – A strong earthquake shook the Solomon Islands

A massive earthquake struck the Solomon Islands, located in the South Pacific Ocean. The USGS put the magnitude at 7.0 on Tuesday. The earthquake occurred this afternoon (local time) near the town of Malango in Guadalcanal province, at a depth of about 15 kilometers.

The Tsunami Warning System of the United States and other authorities initially warned of a tsunami. However, after a few hours, everything was abandoned. An earthquake in Indonesia on Monday claimed many lives.

There were no initial reports of deaths, injuries or major damage in the Solomon Islands, but local media said there was damage to buildings. Many people panicked and tried to move away from the coasts to higher ground. Malango is located less than 40 kilometers southwest of the capital, Honiara. The archipelago with a population of 700,000 has mostly flat houses, which is favorable for earthquakes.

Aftershock warning

Authorities have advised residents to continue to exercise caution even after everything has been cleared, as aftershocks are expected, according to the Solomon Times. In Honiara, electricity was temporarily cut off to check possible damage to the lines.

The Solomon Islands, located in the South Pacific Ocean, are made up of hundreds of islands and lie east of New Guinea. The surrounding island nations include Tuvalu, Fiji, and Vanuatu.

More than 160 people were killed and hundreds injured in an earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java on Monday. Both the Solomon Islands and Indonesia lie on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active region on Earth. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common there. (apa/chg)