Two quakes jolt the Solomon Islands, no tsunami warning
People have been advised to move to higher ground immediately
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter Scale struck Southwest of Malango, Solomon Islands on Tuesday morning. Around half anhour later, asecond quakewith a magnitude of 6.0 hit the region.
Authorities said no tsunami warning would be issued following the two quakes. Earlier, the US Geological Survey had said that a tsunami alert has been issued by the Pacific warning centre, reported AFP.
People were advised to move to higher ground immediately, said a spokesperson for the Solomon Islands' prime minister.
The first quake hit at a depth of 15 km (9 miles), about 16 km (10 miles) southwest of the area of Malango.
However, the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service warned about unusual sea currents in coastal areas.
"People are also advised to be vigilant as aftershocks are expected to continue," an employee said on social media.
The quakes did have an impact on basic necessities, with widespread power outages being reported across the island. Solomon Islands Broadcasting also informed in a statement on Facebook that all radio services were off air.
(With inputs from agencies)