Two undersea powerful explosions struck Monday in the south-west Pacific.
The second earthquake, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale and with the potential to cause a local tsunami, struck near the Solomon Islands archipelago, but there were no reports of either injuries to persons or damage to property.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck about 64 miles (103 kilometers) from the island town of Gizo in New Georgia island-chain, at about 9:36 am (2236 GMT Sunday) located at a depth of near;y 19 miles (30 kilometers).
It came less than an hour after a 6.5-magnitude temblor struck near the area at 8:48 am (2148 GMT Sunday). The USGS said the epicenter of the first quake was 88 miles (143 kilometers) south-southeast of Gizo, the second largest town in the Solomon Islands with a population of around 6,000.
No tsunami alert was issued, but the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said quakes of this magnitude could create local tsunamis "that can be destructive along coasts located within a few hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter."
The Solomon Islands, located about 1600 miles (2,500 kilometers) east of Australia, lies in the Pacific "Ring of Fire", and experiences frequent seismic tremors. A major quake struck Gizo in April 2007, sparking a tsunami that destroyed more than one town and killed over 50 individuals.
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