7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Solomon Island
An earthquake of 7.0 magnitude has struck the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean, near the southwest region of Malango.
The first quake hit just off the southwest coast at 1 pm local time, the US Geological Survey said, triggering a tsunami warning.
The second quake, with a magnitude of 6.0, struck nearby 30 minutes later.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the roof of Australia’s high commission in Honiara collapsed.
He added there were no known injuries among high commission staff, but all had moved to higher ground after the tremor on Tuesday morning.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular support to the Pacific nation, and the government has contacted Solomons PM Manasseh Sogavare to offer assistance.
In the capital Honiara, there were reports of violent shaking that hurled items to the ground and knocked out power in some areas.
Authorities in the Solomon Islands said no tsunami warning would be issued after the US Tsunami Warning System issued its own warning after a strong earthquake hit Malango at 1.03pm AEDT.
“There is no tsunami threat to the Solomon Islands. But expect unusual sea currents around most coastal waters,” it wrote in a Facebook post about two hours after the quake.
The United States Geological Survey revised the quake’s magnitude down to 7 from 7.3 magnitudes at a depth of 13km.
It comes after a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's main island of Java on Monday, killing at least 162 people and injuring hundreds.
The Solomon Islands and Indonesia sit on the "ring of fire" area of tectonic activity in the Pacific where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.