A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Solomon Islands on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported Sunday with no immediate tsunami alert or reports of damage.
The Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) quoted USGS as saying the quake's epicenter was 52 km deep, 97 km southwest of the Solomon Islands' Kira Kira in the Pacific Ocean. It hit at 8:40 p. m. local time.
ABC quoted Pacific Tsunami Warning Center as saying there was no destructive widespread tsunami threat, but it warned " Authorities in the region of the epicenter should be aware of this possibility and take action."
Located at South Pacific region, Solomons Islands regularly experiences earthquakes like other island nations.
A string of tremors rocked the western Solomon Islands in January, with the largest of 7.2 causing a tsunami estimated at nearly 2.5 meters. Enditem
In April 2007, an 8.0-magnitude earthquake in the western Solomons triggered a tsunami that killed more than 50 people and displaced thousands.
In September last year, a devastating tsunami swept along coasts in the Pacific islands of Samoa and Tonga, killing 186 people.
The Solomon Islands is a country of nearly 1,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea, north of Australia.