The quake, with a magnitude 8.0, struck at 01:12 GMT near the Santa Cruz islands, the US Geological Survey said.

BBC: Quake off Solomon Islands triggers deadly tsunami

Another government spokesman, George Herming, said reports suggested that between 60 to 70 homes have been damaged in four villages on Santa Cruz Islands.

BBC: Quake off Solomon Islands triggers deadly tsunami

The magnitude-8 quake, with a depth of 28.7 kilometers, was centered about 355 kilometers east of the Santa Cruz Islands, part of the Solomon Islands nation, according to a bulletin issued by the U.S. Geological Survey.

WSJ: Tsunami Destroys Villages in Solomon Islands

It is the largest island in the Santa Cruz island chain, part of the Solomon Islands nation.

BBC: Quake off Solomon Islands triggers deadly tsunami