M7 earthquake in Solomon Islands triggers tsunami alert

Bangkok Desk, Nov 22 (EFE).- A tsunami alert was issued after a magnitude-7 earthquake struck off the coast of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific on Tuesday.

The earthquake occurred at 1.03 pm local time (02:03 GMT) at a depth of 15 kilometers, 16 km southwest of Malango and 56 km from capital Honiara, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which monitors seismic activity around the world.

A few minutes after the strong tremor, the Pacific Tsunami Warning System issued an alert for risk of a potential tsunami within 300 km of the epicenter.

At least one large aftershock, with a magnitude of 6 at a depth of 10 km, has been recorded since.

There were no immediate reports of widespread damage or injuries.

The Solomon Islands, with a population of about 725,000 people, sits on the so-called Ring of Fire, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity that is shaken by about 7,000 tremors a year, most of them moderate. EFE

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