M5.9 earthquake - 82 km WNW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands

What happened

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 82 km WNW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands on 18 Dec 2016, 05:46 UTC at a depth of 39 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Moderate. Can damage poorly built structures close to the epicentre. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Malango, about 154 km away in Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands.