9 Jan 2012

Strong quake rattles Solomon Islands

8:18 pm on 9 January 2012

A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake has struck the Santa Cruz islands, part of the Pacific's Solomons group on Monday, but officials say there is no threat of a widespread tsunami.

The quake occurred at 3pm at a depth of 38km, some 350km east of Kirakira, the main city of the Solomons' major island of Makira, AFP reports.

No tsunami alert was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in the immediate phase after the quake.