6.0-magnitude quake hits off Solomon Islands

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — A 6.0-magnitude quake hit off the Solomon Islands on Wednesday, officials said, but Australian seismologists said it was unlikely to generate a tsunami.

The quake hit some 88 kilometers (54 miles) west of the capital Honiara at a depth of about 10 kilometers, the United States Geological Survey said.

Geoscience Australia estimated the quake at a much deeper 30 kilometers, but said it was of a 6.2 magnitude.

“It’s too small to be tsunamigenic,” Geoscience Australia’s Phil Cummins told AFP, adding that it was not in an area where it was likely to cause significant damage.

The Solomon Islands experience frequent seismic activity due to collisions between continental plates.