Welcome To winnie Anthony blog: 'People just panicked': 6.9 magnitude quake destroys homes on Solomon Islands

A man stands next to a World Vision building damaged by an earthquake in Kirakira on the Solomon Islands. (World Vision via Reuters)

Hundreds of people in remote parts of the Solomon Islands have had their homes damaged or destroyed by a powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Friday, an aid organization said.

There have been no deaths reported from the quake, which also caused some small tsunami waves in the Solomon Islands and other South Pacific islands.

Speaking from the capital Honiara, Suzy Sainovski, of World Vision, said it has been hard to get a full assessment from some more remote communities, some of which don't have cellphone coverage.

"Some of these are traditional houses that are on stilts and made with vegetation."

'Children crying, people shouting'

The quake struck near the island of Makira. Sainovski said in the town of Kirakira on the island, the quake damaged a hospital, a church and other buildings including the World Vision office. She said 20 people were moved from a hospital.

She said the quake had caused some power failures throughout the country.

The earthquake struck off the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. (U.S. Geological Survey )

Micha Maghe, World Vision's water sanitation and health project co-ordinator in Kirakira, said the quake was terrifying.

"When I got outside I could hear children crying, people shouting," she said in a statement. "We assembled at a school and I saw people moving towards high ground.... People just panicked and were frightened."

Aftershocks, outages

Sainovski said there continued to be a number of aftershocks and power cuts.

Tsunami warnings for several Pacific islands, including Hawaii, were cancelled Friday after authorities determined the earthquake didn't pose a broad tsunami threat.