Solomon Islands Earthquake: Tsunami warning issued following 7.3 magnitude tremor | World | News
The earthquake measured a magnitude of 7.3 on the Richter scale which is classified as a major event and can cause damage to buildings which may collapse. With a quake of such magnitude, the effects may be felt up to 155 miles away from the epicentre.
The epicentre has been identified in the Solomon Sea, 58km (36 miles) southwest of Honiaram, Solomon Islands.
With a depth reported by Volcano Discovery of up to 10km (6.2 miles), severe shaking was experienced at the epicentre.
Following the tremor, US Tsunami Warning System has warned of a potential tsunami threat at the Solomon Islands.
The tsunami warning was issued at 2:10am (UTC).
The warning said that “hazardous tsunami waves [are] possible for coasts within 300 km of the quake epicentre”.
According to SBS News, the Met Service for the Solomon Islands has since removed the tsunami warning.
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A spokesperson from the Prime Minister said: “People are advised to move to higher ground now.
“Office tables and computers were thrown all over. It was very scary.”
Journalist Charley Piringi was standing outside a warehouse near a primary school on the outskirts of Honiara when the earthquake hit.
He said: “The earthquake rocked the place. It was a huge one. We were all shocked, and everyone is running everywhere.”
The earthquake also saw power outages in some areas of the region and caused people to rush out of their offices to seek higher ground.
