Solomon Islands rattled by 6.9 aftershock

By Recep Sakar

MELBOURNE, Australia (AA) - The Solomon Islands have been rattled by another earthquake, one day after a 7.8 tremor damaged around 30 buildings and prompted a tsunami warning.

As was the case Friday, Saturday's early morning 6.9 magnitude Pacific Ocean quake triggered a fresh warning but it was lifted a short time later.

Australia's ABC News reported a local aid organization as saying that no major damage was caused.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the 6.9 magnitude tremor occurred at at 6.10 a.m. (1910GMT Friday) at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) off the island province of Makira-Ulawa.

Since Friday's 7.8 (Thursday evening GMT) tremor, the Solomons have been hit by a series of aftershocks, sending hundreds of people scrambling to higher ground.

The island chain consists of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands.

It lies within the Pacific’s "Ring of Fire", one of the world's most active fault lines, where tectonic plates collide and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity.