A major 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands in the western Pacific today. <br/><br/>Reporting this, the US Geological Survey however said, there was no immediate tsunami alert or reports of damage. <br/><br/>The quake struck at a depth of about 52 kilometres with an epicentre 97 kilometres southwest of Kira Kira on Makira Island at 3.10 PM IST . <br/><br/>The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no destructive widespread tsunami threat but added that earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within 100 kilometres of the earthquake epicentre.