Big quake in Pacific prompts tsunami warnings in South Pacific islands

Tsunami watch for Hawaii canceled

A paved road is lifted at the ports in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand's South Island early Monday, killing at least two people, causing damage to buildings and infrastructure, and prompting emergency services to warn people along the coast to move to higher ground to avoid tsunami waves. (Mark Mitchell/New Zealand Herald via AP)
A paved road is lifted at the ports in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, Nov. 14, 2016, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand's South Island early Monday, killing at least two people, causing damage to buildings and infrastructure, and prompting emergency services to warn people along the coast to move to higher ground to avoid tsunami waves. (Mark Mitchell/New Zealand Herald via AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - The U.S. Geological Survey says a powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake has struck near the Pacific's Solomon Islands, prompting the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to warn that tsunami waves were possible in several South Pacific islands.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the quake.

The quake was centered about 120 miles southeast of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. The epicenter was relatively deep at 30 miles below the surface. Deeper quakes generally cause less damage on the ground.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cautioned that tsunami waves were possible in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, New Caledonia, Tuvalu and in Kosrae, in the Federated States of Micronesia.

A tsunami warning for Hawaii has been canceled.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there's no threat of tsunami waves for Hawaii. The state had been placed under a tsunami watch Thursday after an earthquake in the Solomon Islands. A watch is the lowest level of alert.

The Solomon Islands are located in the Pacific's geologically active "Ring of Fire."

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