Photo: Canadian Press
A strong earthquake and several aftershocks struck Hawaii Island on Friday. (AP Graphics)
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Mauna Loa on Hawaii Island, the world’s largest active volcano, on Friday, knocking products off shelves in nearby towns, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage. The tsunami was not expected.
The quake, which the U.S. Geological Survey initially reported as magnitude 6.3, was centered on the south flank of Mauna Loa at a depth of 23 miles (37 kilometers), 1.3 miles (2 kilometers) southwest of Pahala.
“It was a shock that made my knees shake a little bit,” said Derek Nelson, manager of the Kona Canoe Club Restaurant in the seaside community of Kona on the west side of the island. “Every window in the village shook.”
Mauna Loa last erupted in late 2022. Mauna Loa is one of the five volcanoes that make up the Big Island, the southernmost of the Hawaiian archipelago.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the quake was caused by the weight of the Hawaiian Islands on the Earth’s surface. This earthquake is a type of earthquake that occasionally occurs in the Hawaiian Islands, which were formed by continuous volcanic eruptions over millions of years.
The observatory announced that the earthquake had no impact on Mauna Loa or the neighboring Kilauea volcano, and that there was no damage to buildings or infrastructure due to its strength.
According to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, the majority of Hawaii’s earthquakes occur on and around the Big Island. On average, an earthquake of magnitude 5 or higher occurs in the state about once every 1.5 years.
The Big Island is largely rural, with ranches, coffee plantations, and resort hotels. But there are also some smaller cities, including the county seat of Hilo, which has a population of about 45,000.
Some tremors were also felt in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, about 200 miles (322 kilometers) to the north.The earthquake occurred just after 10 a.m.
Hawaii Island Mayor Mitch Roth, who was in Honolulu to see a cardiologist, initially thought he was experiencing side effects from the surgery, saying, “Suddenly, I felt dizzy.” Ta.
He said he called emergency management officials as soon as he realized there was an earthquake and was heading to the Honolulu airport to catch an early flight home.
Several items fell off the shelves of Will & Grace Philippine Variety Store in Naalehu.
“Some of them fell, but they didn’t break,” owner Grace Tabios said of the mayonnaise and medicine bottles imported from the Philippines.
She said the store’s altars to Buddha and Santo Niño were not damaged, but her husband, who worked at a coffee farm in Pahala, collapsed in the tremor. Her landline doesn’t work, she said.
Julia Neal, owner of Pahala Plantation Cottages, said the strong shaking caused mirrors and brass lamps to fall.
“We have a lot of old wooden plantation homes, so there was some pretty loud rattling,” she said.
