Strong earthquake causes tsunami warning in the South Pacific

Tsunami warnings were issued after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook many areas in the South Pacific.

The location of the earthquake off the island of Solomon, the southern Pacific this morning.(Photo: USGS).

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred around 4h40 local time on December 9 (1740 GMT), off the island nation of Solomon, accompanied by aftershocks. The epicenter was located about 193 km southeast of Honiara, the capital of Solomon, nearly 50 km deep, the AP reported.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued warnings in many areas of this region such as Vanuatu, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, New Caledonia .

Power lines and phones in some places are interrupted.

In Malaita, an island near the epicenter, some houses have collapsed but the scale of damage is unknown. A helicopter was brought here to assess the situation. Many people in areas were evacuated to higher places, however, there were no records of casualties.

The tsunami warning has now been lifted.

Solomon Islands is located on the Fire Ring in the Pacific , where there are more than 400 volcanoes and fault lines that frequently create earthquakes.