7.1-magnitude earthquake hits Solomon Islands
SYDNEY. April 12. KAZINFORM. 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; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
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."
The Solomon Islands is a country of nearly 1,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea, north of Australia; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.news.xinhunet.com