A powerful earthquake off the Solomon Islands has generated a tsunami that damaged dozens of homes and reportedly killed several people in the South Pacific island chain.

Two 5ft waves hit the western side of Santa Cruz Island, damaging between 70 and 80 homes and properties, said George Herming, a spokesman for the prime minister. Many villagers had headed to higher ground as a precaution, Mr Herming added.

Solomon Islands police commissioner John Lansley said local patrols reported that several people were presumed dead, although the reports were still being verified. He said: "Sadly, we believe some people have lost their lives. At the moment we potentially know of four, but there may of course be more."

One of the people presumed dead was fishing in a canoe when the first wave hit, sweeping him out to sea, Mr Herming said. Officials were searching for his body. Another woman was believed to have drowned when the water rushed into her village, he added.

Four villages on Santa Cruz were impacted by the waves, with two suffering severe damage, Mr Lansley said. Other areas of the Solomons did not appear to have been seriously affected, and authorities cancelled warnings for tsunamis on more distant coasts.

Disaster officials were struggling to reach the remote area after the tsunami flooded the air strip at the nearest airport and left it littered with debris.

The tsunami formed after an 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck near the town of Lata, on Santa Cruz in Temotu province, the eastern-most province of the Solomons, about a three-hour flight from the capital, Honiara. Temotu has a population of around 30,000 people.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said a tsunami of about 3ft was measured in Lata Wharf. Smaller waves were recorded in Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

The Solomons comprise more than 200 islands with a population of about 552,000 people. They lie on the "Ring of Fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim, where about 90% of the world's quakes occur.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck 50 miles west of Lata, at a depth of 3.6 miles.

Weird seeing that video - if it's from the Solomon Islands - as my first thoughts of living conditions there would have been of mud huts with straw roofs.

The power of an earthquake is scary.

That was amazing seeing the force generated by the earthquake.