M7.1 earthquake - 71 km WSW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands

What happened

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck 71 km WSW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands on 23 Oct 1979, 09:51 UTC at a depth of 22 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Major. Can cause serious damage over large areas. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Malango, about 189 km away in Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands.