A tsunami warning was issued after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Solomon Islands on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey said.
The US tsunami warning system said waves between 30cm and one metre could hit Solomon Islands, with waves of up to 30cm possible for Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
The office of the Solomon Islands prime minister advised people to move to higher ground, but stressed that no major damage to buildings in the capital Honiara had been reported.
The quake near Malango was shallow, with a depth of 10km, the USGS said.
People reported violent shaking that threw televisions and other items to the ground.
Freelance journalist Charley Piringi said he was standing outside a warehouse next to a primary and a secondary school on the outskirts of the capital, Honiara, when the quake struck, sending the children running.
“The earthquake rocked the place,” he said. “It was a huge one. We were all shocked, and everyone is running everywhere.”
A Twitter account that appeared to belong to the attorney general posted images of offices strewn with files and papers after the earthquake hit.
“This was a big one,” Joy Nisha, a receptionist at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara, told the AFP news agency. “Some of the things in the hotel fell. Everyone seems OK, but panicky.”
An AFP reporter in the capital said the shaking lasted for about 20 seconds.
Power was out in some areas of the city and people were leaving their offices and fleeing to higher ground.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
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