Moderate 5.3-magnitude quake off Solomon Islands
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SYDNEY — A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the Solomon Islands early Thursday, US geologists said.
The US Geological Survey said the tremor, at a depth of 43 kilometers (27 miles), struck off the southwest coast of the main Guadalcanal Island at 3:56 am local time (16:56 GMT).
The epicenter was 118 kilometers southeast of the Solomons’ capital Honiara. The USGS said the risk of damage was low.
The Solomons are part of the “Ring of Fire,” a zone of tectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
In 2007, a tsunami following an 8.0-magnitude earthquake killed at least 52 people in the Solomons and left thousands homeless.
Article continues after this advertisementThe quake lifted an entire island and pushed out its shoreline by dozens of meters.
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