Tuesday, February 5, 2013

8.0 quake off Solomons sparks tsunami

A 8.0 magnitude earthquake has damaged villages in the Solomons and generated a metre-high tsunami that raised alerts across the South Pacific.
A major 8.0 magnitude earthquake jolted the Solomon Islands Wednesday with small tsunami waves lapping Pacific coastlines, washing away houses and leaving a handful of people feared dead.
A quake-generated wave of just under one metre (three feet) reached part of the Solomons, and Vanuatu and New Caledonia also reported rising sea levels, before a region-wide tsunami alert was lifted.
This picture was posted on Twitter by who tweeted "School kids moved to higher ground after SI tsunami warning". SBS News could not confirm the accuracy of the picture.


Sirens were heard in Fiji, locals said. "Chaos in the streets of Suva as everyone tries to avoid the tsunami!!" tweeted Ratu Nemani Tebana from the Fiji capital.
 
Quake-prone Japan, which was hit by a huge tsunami in March 2011 that killed more than 19,000 people, was also on edge with the nation's weather agency warning a small tsunami could come ashore.
 
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancelled its regional alert at 0350 GMT, about two and a half hours after the powerful quake struck at 0112 GMT near the Santa Cruz Islands in the Solomons.

SBS world news

No comments: