HONIARA: A high-intensity earthquake strikes the Oceanian nation of Solomon Islands on Monday.
The epicentre of the tremor is said to be in the South-West region of Malango. The depth of the origin has been put at 15 km and the location is about 18 km from the coast of the country. The intensity of the quake has been reported to be 7.3 on the Richter Scale and is considered a major earthquake. Reports from the local agencies mentioned that the shaking continued for about 20 seconds.
No reports of casualties were reported during the quake. A tsunami warning was issued immediately after the earthquake and the prime minister ordered an evacuation of the low-lying areas. It was later called off after the stipulated time for risk was over. The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre also mentioned that the threat of a tsunami has passed.
Located in the region known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, this region is affected by volcanic and tectonic disturbances. The region also has the highest probability of high-intensity earthquakes in the world.
The quake caused power and water outages in the capital city of the country. But the emergency services were already in a position to handle the problems faced. No large-scale damages were reported from the island nation. But several aftershocks hit the country after this quake, with the largest among them measured at 6 on the Richter Scale.
The head of the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service urged the citizens to maintain distance from tall or unstable structures as the dangers of aftershocks were not over.
A 5.3 earthquake shook the Java province of Indonesia. This caused widespread damage in the country with as many as 162 dead and more than 500 injured on Monday. Search and rescue missions are still underway across the region.
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