Magnitude 7.5 earthquake quake strikes off Solomon Islands, sparks tsunami warning

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.5 struck off the coast of the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, triggering a tsunami warning in the area, the US Geological Survey and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.7 was shallow, only 12.4 miles (35 km) below the seabed, and centered 73 miles (113 km) south of Kira Kira in the Solomon Islands, which have been racked by a series of strong quakes in recent days.

The Tsunami Warning Center said it was not yet known whether a tsunami had actually been generated but a warning was in effect in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.