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WELLINGTON: An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck off the South Pacific island nation of Samoa on Thursday, seismologists reported, two weeks after a violent quake caused a tsunami that devastated Tonga, Samoa and American Samoa.
No immediate tsunami alert was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii following the quake, which struck at 6:00 am (1800 GMT Wednesday) at a narrow depth of 10 kilometres.
The epicentre was 365 kilometres southwest the Samoan capital of Apia, the US Geological Survey said.
Samoa was devastated by huge waves that struck on September 29 after an 8.0 magnitude earthquake smashed into the southern coast of the most populated island of Upolu.
Nearly 150 people were killed in Samoa while another 32 were confirmed dead in neighbouring American Samoa and nine on Tonga's northern island of Niuatoputapu.
Samoans relived the terror on October 8 when a 7.8 earthquake near Vanuatu - followed in quick succession by two more tremors over 7.0 - sparked a Pacific-wide tsunami alert.
Panicking residents caused traffic gridlock in the capital Apia and homeless survivors from September's tsunami fled their makeshift hill camps to run higher up the slopes.
A second tsunami was not generated but the alert inflamed emotions still raw from a week earlier. - AFP/de
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