SOLOMON ISLANDS (BNO NEWS) — A strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Solomon Islands on Saturday, seismologists said.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located about 114 miles southwest from Dadali on the Solomon Islands. “We have a preliminary magnitude of 6.3,” a seismologist from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The depth of the earthquake was about 21 miles deep, making it a fairly shallow earthquake. Shallow earthquakes often tend to cause more damage and increase the possibility of a tsunami threat. However, because 6.3-magnitude earthquakes are not considered strong enough to create a tsunami, no tsunami watches or warnings were issued. The tremor struck at 4.51 p.m. local time.

“It appears to be an aftershock to the 7.2[-magnitude earthquake],” the spokesman said, referring to the earthquake January 3 quake which unleashed a tsunami that damaged scores of homes on the Solomon Islands.