Magnitude 7.5 quake strikes off Solomons

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 Centre said.

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

The Tsunami Warning Centre said it was not yet known whether a tsunami had actually been generated.