5.9-magnitude earthquake hits Solomon Islands

A 5.9-magnitude earthquake rattled the Pacific's Solomon Islands Sunday, seismologists said, but there were no reports of damage and no tsunami alert was issued. The quake struck 86 kilometres (53 miles) south-west of remote Chirovanga, on the island of Choiseul at 0458 GMT at a depth of 60 kilometres, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicentre was about 500 kilometres from the Solomons capital Honiara. Geoscience Australia, which put the quake's magnitude at 6.0, said there was no tsunami generated, and there were no immediate reports of damage in the sparsely populated area. The Solomon Islands form part of the Ring of Fire, a zone of tectonic activity around the Pacific Ocean that is subject to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In 2007 a tsunami following an 8.1-magnitude earthquake killed at least 52 people in the Solomons and left thousands homeless.