Solomon Islands recover from 7.8-magnitude quake amid continuing aftershocks
Solomon Islands authorities Saturday were working to provide assistance to more than 3,000 people affected by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck south of the archipelago Friday as aftershocks continue.
A 6.9-magnitude aftershock recorded this morning prompted a new tsunami warning for the Solomon Islands, Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, with a forecast of waves measuring 30 centimeters (12 inches).
As in the case of the earthquake Friday, this alert was canceled shortly afterwards. The United States Geological Survey, which monitors seismic activity around the world, located this aftershock in the same area where Friday's earthquake took place, near Makira island, 90 kilometers (56 miles) southwest of Kirakira, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 mi).
This earthquake was followed two hours by another one of 6.1-magnitude, located 78 km (48 mi) southwest of Kirakira. The aftershocks occurred as the authorities were working to provide food and accommodation to 3,712 people who, according to the Solomon Islands disaster management agency, were affected by the earthquake in Makira Friday.
About 35 buildings were damaged including the police station, a church and a hospital from where 20 patients were evacuated, a spokesperson of an NGO in Makira told Australian news channel ABC. Most of the affected houses are traditional buildings that use wood and vegetable elements as main materials. Solomon Islands is located on the Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean, an area with some of the highest seismic and volcanic activity on the planet.
In April 2007, an 8.1-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed around 30 people and destroyed much of the island of Gizo, west of the country.