A huge earthquake measuring 7.3 has hit close to the Solomon Islands, said the US Geological Survey, sparking fears of a tsunami.
There were no immediate reports of widespread damage or injuries following the tremor at 1pm local time on Tuesday.
The quake's epicenter was in the ocean about 35 miles southwest of the capital, Honiara, at a depth of eight miles, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Hazardous waves are possible for islands in the region, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said, but it advised there was no wider tsunami threat expected.
It stated: "Tsunami waves reaching 0.3 metre to one metre above the tide level are possible for some coasts of the Solomon Islands."
Smaller waves for the coasts of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are possible and no bigger than 0.3 metre.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned: "A tsunami is a series of waves. The time between wave crests can vary from five minutes to an hour. The hazard may persist for many hours or longer after the initial wave."
The Solomon Islands sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc along the Pacific Ocean rim where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.
George Herming, the island's government spokesman, recalled crawling under his desk when the quake struck. At the time, he was working on the second floor of an office building in the capital, Honiara.
“It's a huge one that just shocked everybody,” Herming said.
“We have tables and desks, books and everything scattered all over the place as a result of the earthquake, but there's no major damage to structure or buildings,” he said.
When the earthquake hit, Mr Herming said there was some panic in the city as residents tried to drive to higher ground, causing traffic jams.
Freelance journalist Charley Piringi said he was standing outside a warehouse next to a primary and a secondary school on the outskirts of the capital, Honiara, when the quake struck, sending the children running.
"The earthquake rocked the place," he said. "It was a huge one. We were all shocked, and everyone is running everywhere."
Many people have taken to social media to report strong shaking in the Solomon Islands.
"It shook for almost a minute and it was really strong (...) when it stopped a few shakes after," said one person who was 57 kilometres from the epicentre, and someone in Honiara reported "very strong shaking".
Another in Tulagi wrote: "I felt the shaking and panic but I have learnt that during earthquakes do not run outside (...) all in all I was quite shaken and afraid."
