REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WELLINGTON - A powerful magnitude-7.6 earthquake triggered large waves in the Solomon Islands on Sunday, and authorities were trying to determine if there was any serious damage or injuries.

Government spokesman George Herming said people throughout the Pacific island chain awoke to the strong quake at 7:14 a.m. He said that people on Makira and nearby islands southeast of the capital, Honiara, reported seeing three large waves after the quake. He said there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center on Sunday canceled a tsunami warning after earlier issuing an alert for some Pacific islands. The center reported that sea level readings indicate a small tsunami was generated that may have caused some destruction near the epicenter. The US Geological Survey reported the epicenter was 323 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Honiara, at a depth of 29 kilometers (18 miles).

The Solomon Islands, home to 600,000 people, was already reeling from devastating flash floods that struck Honiara and other areas April 3. The floods have killed 23 people and left 9,000 more homeless. Herming said up to 30 more people remain missing.

"It has really been a tough time," he said.

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