WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck close to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, just days after the archipelago was hit by another strong earthquake, the US Geological Survey said on Friday.

The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.9, struck at 8.45am on Saturday (5.45am Singapore time).

Its epicentre was located 224km east of Kira Kira at a depth of just 37km below the seabed.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said the quake had not triggered a tsunami.

The Solomon Islands and nearby South Pacific nations, which were struck by a magnitude 7 earthquake last week, are still recovering from a devastating cyclone that hit the region in March.