Highlights
- There were no immediate reports of widespread damage or injuries
- The quake's epicentre was in the ocean about 56 kilometres (35 miles) southwest of the capital
- Hazardous waves are possible for islands in the region, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said
A Tsunami alert has been issued after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near Solomon Islands, according to USGS.
There were no immediate reports of widespread damage or injuries.
The quake's epicentre was in the ocean about 56 kilometres (35 miles) southwest of the capital, Honiara, at a depth of 13 kilometres (8 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey.
Hazardous waves are possible for islands in the region, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, but it advised there was no wider tsunami threat expected.
The earthquake may produce waves of up to 1 metre (3 feet) above tide levels for the Solomon Islands, the centre said, and smaller waves for the coasts of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
The Solomon Islands sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a arc along the Pacific Ocean rim where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.
The intensity of earthquakes across the world has seen a sudden rise in the past few weeks as Nepal, India and most recently, Indonesia has been hit by jolts killing at least 162 people, and leaving many injured.
Indonesia is mourning life and property loss after 5.4 earthquake shook the main island of Java on Monday.
The quake struck Cianjur town in west Java, at a depth of 10 km, according to US Geological Survey data.
The area where the quake struck is densely-populated and prone to landslides, with the makeshift houses reduced to rubble in many areas, the BBC reported.
Rescuers were working into the night to try to save others thought to still be trapped under collapsed buildings.
Regional Governor Ridwan Kamil said 162 people were killed, over 700 injured, and more than 13,000 people displaced by the disaster, the BBC reported.
He apprehended that the numbers of injuries and fatalities were likely to increase because there were "a lot of people" still trapped at the scene.
Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, which sits on the "ring of fire" area of tectonic activity in the Pacific, with a 2018 quake in Sulawesi leaving over 2,000 dead.
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