Solomons earthquake generates tsunami, destroys villages

A powerful 8.0-magnitude earthquake off Solomon Islands has generated a tsunami and destroyed three remote villages on the Santa Cruz Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported today.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) issued its warning and watch alerts for areas in the South Pacific after the quake struck at 1212 AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time,) today, but cancelled at around 1450 AEDT.

"No tsunami threat exists for other coastal areas although some may experience small sea level changes," the center said.

Villagers moved to higher ground in coastal areas of affected regions.

The PTWC said a 91 centimeter tsunami wave was recorded at Lata, on the main Santa Cruz island of Ndende, while smaller waves were observed in neighboring Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

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