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A tsunami warning has been issued following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in the Solomon Islands just after noon.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning at 1:03 p.m. AEDT following an earthquake in Malango in the Solomon Islands.
A second magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck nearby 30 minutes later, with five quakes hitting the region within a 90-minute period.
The epicenter of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake was recorded around 56 km southwest of the capital Honaira, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The Bureau of Meteorology tweeted that Australia had no tsunami threat as a result of the quake.
A tsunami warning has been issued for the Solomon Islands after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the Solomon Islands shortly after noon
A strong earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale hit the Solomon Islands and eyewitnesses reported violent tremors that threw objects on the ground and knocked out power in parts of the capital Honiara
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the High Commission wants to confirm the safety of all Australians.
“There are problems because the phone lines are down. So there are communication problems there,” Mr Albanese said.
“We have reached out to Prime Minister Saguaro to reiterate Australia’s readiness to assist.
“We have traditionally played an important role in the Solomon Islands.”
The US Tsunami Warning System predicted that waves would reach between 0.3 meters and a meter above tide level for part of the Solomon Islands coastline.
Tsunami waves are also forecast in Papua New Guinea, but are expected to be less than 0.3 meters.
Local residents in the capital Honiara reported seeing violent shaking that caused objects to fall to the ground.
It is clear that parts of the capital have also lost power.
The Solomon Islands lie on the Pacific Ring of Fire – an arc along the edge of the Pacific Ocean known for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Earlier on Tuesday, an undersea earthquake struck off the coast of New South Wales.
The magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck just before 8 a.m. off Bateman’s Bay on the south coast.
There are no reports of damage and no one in Australia has reported feeling the quake.
Shortly before 8 a.m., a 3.3-magnitude submarine earthquake struck off the southern coast of NSW
The quake comes just a day after an earthquake hit Indonesia’s main island, killing more than 160 and injuring 700.
The magnitude 5.6 quake struck West Java near the town of Cianjur, about 70 kilometers south of the capital Jakarta, at 1:21 p.m. local time.
The earthquake triggered a landslide and collapsed buildings in hard-hit Cianjur – where most of the deaths occurred – but also shook tower blocks in Jakarta for three terrifying minutes as people rushed into the streets.
More than 2,000 homes have been damaged and 13,000 people have been displaced and taken to evacuation centers, according to local authorities.
Shallow earthquakes tend to be more destructive than deeper earthquakes because deeper earthquakes come further to the surface, losing energy along the way.
“I am sorry to report that there are 162 deaths,” West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said in a video. Adam, the spokesman for the local government in the West Java town of Cianjur, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, confirmed the toll to AFP.
People injured in an earthquake near the town of Cianjur, Indonesia, are treated in the parking lot of a local hospital after the ward was overwhelmed
Civilians injured by the earthquake that hit Cinajur, a town on Indonesia’s main island, West Java, lie on stretchers outside a local hospital as they are treated by medics
In the town of Cianjur, the remains of a building destroyed by the earthquake that hit the island of West Java can be seen.
Several landslides were reported around Cianjur. Dozens of buildings were damaged, including an Islamic boarding school, a hospital and other public facilities.
Herman Suherman, a resident, said one hospital had reported 20 dead and 300 injured — and that number is likely to rise as more buildings are searched.
He said relatives of victims had gathered at Sayang Hospital in the city.
“We are currently treating people in emergency situations at this hospital. The ambulances continue to come to the hospital from the villages,” he said.
“There are many families in villages that have not been evacuated.”
The earthquake was strongly felt in the Jakarta area. High-rise buildings in the capital swayed and some were evacuated.
“The earthquake felt so strong. My colleagues and I decided to leave our office on the ninth floor via the emergency stairs,” says Vidi Primadhania, a staff member in South Jakarta.
Earthquakes are common in the vast archipelago, but it is uncommon for them to be felt in Jakarta.
Cianjur police chief Doni Hermawan told Metro TV authorities rescued a woman and baby from a landslide, but a third person they found had died of their injuries.
The earthquake’s epicenter was a few kilometers west of Cianjur, which appears to be the worst-hit city, but also caused tall buildings in the capital, Jakarta.
Other broadcasters showed several buildings in Cianjur with collapsed roofs and debris lining the streets.
The country’s meteorological service warned residents near the quake to watch out for more tremors.
“We are calling on people to stay outside the buildings for the time being as there could be possible aftershocks,” head of Indonesia’s meteorological service, Dwikorita Karnawati, told reporters.
There were no reports of casualties or major damage in the capital Jakarta, where people were running from buildings.
Mayadita Waluyo, a 22-year-old lawyer, described how panicked workers ran to the exit of their building in Jakarta when the earthquake hit.
Street signs buckle and debris from houses blocks the street (right) in Cianjur town after it was hit by a powerful earthquake on Monday
“I was working when the floor shook under me. I could clearly feel the tremor. I didn’t try to do anything to process what it was, but it got even stronger and lasted for a while,” she said.
“I feel a little dizzy now and my legs are a bit cramped because I had to walk down from the 14th floor.”
Hundreds waited outside after the quake, including some wearing helmets to protect themselves from falling debris, an AFP reporter there said.
Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide.
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake in Sulawesi last year killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless in January.