SOME villagers in Western Province fled to higher grounds last night when a 7.3 magnitude undersea earthquake struck 74 kilometres south-west of Arawa, Bougainville.
The quake struck at 6.50pm, and was strongly felt by most islands in the Western Province.
“It was a strong earthquake, we felt it here,” Gizo resident and SIBC broadcaster Sina Adrian said.
“Most people here in Gizo were shaken by the quake. Some started to run here and there,” he added.
“But I have not heard of any damages,” he said.
Despite the powerful earthquake, no tsunami warning was issued for Solomon Islands.
A villager on the nearby island of Parara told the Solomon Star last night the quake shook for about 20 seconds.
“It started off small, and slowly went stronger,” the resident who asked not to be named said.
“As soon as it stopped, the villagers ran off to higher grounds,” he said.
It’s understood the memories of the 2 April 2006 earthquake and tsunami that struck Western Province, are still fresh in the minds of many villagers there.
The disaster claimed more than 50 lives and left behind a trail of destruction.
The Solomon Islands Meteorological Service said no further updates will be issued unless the situation changes.
