No serious injury or property damage has been reported a few hours after the quake
Very strong earthquake of 7 degrees hit today the Solomon Islandsshaking buildings, dropping objects on the ground and causing short-term power outage in some districts in the capital, Honiara.
No serious injuries were reported either nor, particular property damage a few hours after the tremor.
#WATCH #Breaking Tsunami warning after 7.0-magnitude earthquake near Solomon Islands #SolomonIslands #Earthquake #seismo #Tsunami #Earthquake #Earthquake #seismo #solomon_islands #solomon #honiara pic.twitter.com/Zka0bMQAlG
— Harish Deshmukh (@DeshmukhHarish9) November 22, 2022
“It was a big” earthquake, Joey Nisa, who works at the reception of guests at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara, told AFP, adding that “some objects inside the hotel fell down. Everyone seems to be fine, even though they’ve panicked.”
A journalist of the agency located in Honiara reported that the earthquake lasted about twenty seconds. Power was cut in some districts of the city and people rushed out of offices and homes to seek shelter on higher ground due to fears of a tsunami.
Massive cracks in walls, stairs and cellars at the biggest shopping centers in Honiara. AJ City mall and Hyundai mall. “Tiles were falling off the walls and shattering on the floor.” Said a woman in Hyundai mall. #solomonIslands #7.3Earthquake pic.twitter.com/XgSpCwm8U0
— Regina Lepping (@regilepping) November 22, 2022
“I was really scared when I first felt such an earthquake,” said the manager of the Casino Hotel in Honiara, who asked not to be named.
“The building really shook violently,” she added. “It was a very strong earthquake, it took us from one side to the other,” he added.
Dozens of customers and staff rushed out of the building and into the parking lot, hoping they wouldn’t be hit by debris on their way out.
Solomon Islands Justice Minister John Muria uploaded photos to social media sites showing official documents strewn across his office.
The earthquake occurred at a relatively shallow focal depth of 13 kilometersoff Southwest Island and Guadalcanal Island.
A three-meter tsunami warning was issuedwhich could hit areas up to a 300km radius around the epicenter, 55km from the capital Honiara, according to the US Pacific Tsunami Early Warning Center (PTWC).
However, the center later announced that the threat had “largely” passed.
As night approached, power was beginning to be restored throughout Honiara. Authorities, however, advised residents to be vigilant.
“We are expecting aftershocks, people need to be careful,” summed up David Himba Hirashia, director of the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service.
According to the UN, about 20,000 people live within a 50 kilometer radius around the epicenter. The Solomon Islands have a population of approximately 800,000.
RES-EMP
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