A tsunami triggered by an 8.0 Pacific quake destroyed three villages in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, the Daily Mail reported on Feb. 6.
The powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake occurred at 7:42 am (0112 GMT) and its seismic focus was located 5 kilometers deep under the sea in the province of Santa Cruz, which is in the southeast of the Solomon Islands, said the U.S. Geological Survey.
At least three villages were destroyed by the tsunami in the village of Lata, Solomon Islands, although no casualties have been reported so far, according to police. Some are presumed dead, but as of now there have been no confirmed deaths. Solomon Islands police commissioner John Lansley said,
"Sadly, we believe some people have lost their lives. At the moment we potentially know of four, but there may of course be more."
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued a tsunami warning a few minutes after the earthquake to Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Fiji, Kiribati and other islands in the area.
The earthquake occurred 347 kilometers from the town of Kira Kira in the Solomon Islands, and was followed by several aftershocks of up to 6.6 degrees.
Since Monday, this region has suffered at least a dozen earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.9 and 6.3 degrees. The Solomon Islands are situated on the "Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity and continuous volcanic tremors.
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