A major earthquake registering at magnitude 8 has hit near the Solomon Islands, briefly triggering a tsunami warning for a number islands in the South Pacific.
It was feared several islands including the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Nauru, Kosrae, Kiribati, Wallis and Futuna could be hit by a giant wave. Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia were also put on a tsunami watch, however this was later cancelled.
A Solomon Islands hospital director said villages had been destroyed by the initial earthquake, which triggered a deadly wave that struck near the Santa Cruz islands, swamping the airport. At least four people have died.
