Moderate 5.3-Magnitude Quake off Solomon Islands

A 5.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the Solomon Islands early Thursday, U.S. geologists said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the tremor, at a depth of 43 kilometers (27 miles), struck off the southwest coast of the main Guadalcanal Island at 3:56 am local time (16:56 GMT).

The epicenter was 118 kilometers southeast of the Solomons' capital Honiara. The USGS said the risk of damage was low.

The Solomons are part of the "Ring of Fire", a zone of tectonic activity around the Pacific that is subject to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

In 2007, a tsunami following an 8.0-magnitude earthquake killed at least 52 people in the Solomons and left thousands homeless.

The quake lifted an entire island and pushed out its shoreline by dozens of meters.