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Tsunami warning lifted after powerful Solomon Island earthquake

Officials lifted a tsunami warning in parts of the South Pacific following a powerful earthquake off the Solomon Islands.
 
The 7.8 magnitude quake struck about 43 miles off Kirakira, according to the US Geological Survey.
 
It occurred at about 4.40 am local time, followed by many aftershocks.
 
Phones and electricity went down in some areas. There were no reports of casualties.
 
In Malaita, an island close to the epicentre, there were reports of collapsed buildings but the extent of the damage was still unknown, Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office director, Loti Yates, told Reuters.
 
A helicopter was sent to assess the situation in Malaita, which is home to about a quarter of the Solomon Islands population of 600,000, he added.
 
People in many regions moved to higher ground, and users on social media said some places were evacuated.

A number of tsunami warnings issued not long after the quake have been cancelled.
 
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office updated its travel advice to say that a 7.8 magnitude earthquake had been confirmed in the Solomon Islands and that aftershocks are likely to continue for some time.

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