An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale has struck the Solomon Islands, but there were no reports of damage and no tsunami warnings were issued.
The US Geological Survey said that the temblor occurred at 5:59 am on Friday (1859 GMT Thursday), around 36 kilometres (23 miles) south-southwest of Lata, the main town on the remote Ndende Island in the eastern Solomons.
The quake is the latest in a series of aftershocks from an 8.0-magnitude earthquake that occurred near the Santa Cruz Islands on Wednesday triggering a tsunami, which killed at least six people and left some 3,000 homeless.
The quake generated a wave that swamped coastal communities on Ndende Island and triggered warnings of a more widespread tsunami that were later lifted.
The Solomon Islands are part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
Over 50 people were killed and thousands lost their homes in a tsunami which had been triggered by an 8.1-magnitude earthquake in 2007.
MN/HN
