A powerful magnitude 8 earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands on Wednesday, triggering a small tsunami that swept into isolated island communities, and sparked tsunami alerts across the South Pacific -- including here in Fiji.<br/> <br />These alerts, though, were later cancelled.<br/> <br />At least five people were killed and several low-lying villages near Lata on the island of Santa Cruz were damaged, according to local media reports.<br/> <br />Officials added that the death toll could rise as rescuers made their way to at least three more affected villages.<br/> <br />The tsunami measured around 3 feet when it made landfall.<br/> <br />About 5,000 people live in and around Lata, but the area was deserted as residents fled to high ground.<br/> <br />The Solomons, perched on the geologically active "Pacific Ring of Fire", were hit by a devastating tsunami following a magnitude 8.1 quake in 2007.<br/> <br />At least 50 people were killed then, dozens more went missing and at least 13 villages were destroyed.
