Solomon Islands Hit With 6.9 Aftershock After Major Earthquake
(CBS SF) – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands, a strong aftershock of a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the South Pacific island nation a day earlier.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquake struck around 11:10 a.m. Pacific on Friday (6:10 a.m. Saturday local time), about 117 miles southeast of the capital city Honiara.
There is no threat of a tsunami, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Thursday's earthquake led to a brief tsunami watch for the state of Hawaii and a tsunami warning for several neighboring islands.
Since Thursday's magnitude 7.8 earthquake, several dozen significant aftershocks have struck near the Solomon Islands, including a magnitude 6.5. Many of the aftershocks were in the magnitude 5 range.
Originally, the USGS said the magnitude 7.8 earthquake was a magnitude 8.0 and a magnitude 7.7.
According to The Associated Press, hundreds of people in remote parts of the Solomon Islands may have had their homes damaged or destroyed by the earthquake.
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Strong earthquakes with an epicenter off the coast can trigger tsunamis, depending on the size and type of the fault movement. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tracks earthquake data for the West Coast.
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