Panic spread after tremors of 7 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday solomon islands, whose capital Honiara was left without power in some areas. The quake also triggered a tsunami warning for coastal areas of the archipelago less than 300 km from the epicenter, although it was later deactivated, the Pacific Warning Center indicated.
“It was huge,” Joy Nisha, a receptionist at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara, told AFP. “Some things fell in the hotel. Everything looks fine, but there was panic,” he said.
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An AFP reporter in the capital of the archipelago pointed The tremors caused by the earthquake lasted for about 20 seconds.
Damaged cars outside a building in Honiara after a strong earthquake on November 22, 2022. (Lorena Paro/AFP)
Electricity was cut in some areas of the city. Residents abandoned their offices and fled to higher ground.
“I was very scared because this is the first time I have felt this type of earthquake”said the manager of the Pacific Casino Hotel, who declined to be named.
:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/ACD7GHACIBFZJH7AK5E4TDQS5M.jpg "Panic and power outages after powerful magnitude 7 earthquake in solomon islands")
Residents stand outside a building damaged by the earthquake in Honiara on November 22, 2022. (Lorena Paro/AFP)
“The building was shaking very violently,” Explained. “It was so strong, it swayed you from one side to the other,” he said.
Dozens of workers and guests at the facility took shelter in an open-air parking lot, hoping to stay away from a possible landslide.
After an initial estimate of 7.3, the United States Geological Survey (usgs) indicated that the magnitude of the earthquake was 7 and Its epicenter was located off the southwest coast of Guadalcanal Island at a depth of 10 km.
:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/LAXPVGRO4FCCZHVX63UZY73BAY.jpg "Panic and power outages after powerful magnitude 7 earthquake in solomon islands")
Families walk outside a hospital in the city of Honiara after a strong earthquake on November 22, 2022. (Mavis Podokolo/AFP)
Although the tsunami warning has passed, officials of solomon islands He asked residents to take precautions, especially given the potential for aftershocks.
According to UN data, about 20,000 people live within a radius of 50 km from the epicenter.
solomon islandsA large archipelago in the South Pacific, home to a population of approximately 800,000 people.
