Powerful earthquake strikes near Samoa

Powerful earthquake strikes near Samoa

A powerful magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Thursday under the Pacific Ocean floor near Samoa, U.S. Geological Survey reported. No damage was immediately reported, and the chances of a local tsunami were low, officials said.

The quake struck 43 kilometers (7 miles) beneath the sea floor about 300 kilometers (185 miles) southwest of Pago Pago, the closest population center, at about 7:20 p.m. local time (0620 GMT), the USGS said

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no danger of an Ocean-wide tsunami, but that earthquakes of that magnitude sometimes cause potentially damaging waves if they occur within 100 kilometers (60 miles) of a coastline, reports AP.