Hawaii earthquake: Magnitude 5.3 quake hits near Kilauea volcano

No tsunami warnings have been issued, but residents have been told to prepare for after shocks

(Hawaii Civil Defence)

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake has hit the island of Hawaii, sending shock waves in the area near the Kilauea volcano.

The Hawaii Civil Defence sent a message at 1.30am local time on Wednesday to notify locals of the activity, which received some attention from individuals on social media late in the night.

“Just felt a huge earthquake on east shore of Big Island. Shook for a good 10-15 seconds,” one local tweeted.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre says that the earthquake itself occurred just before midnight, and that its centre was near the Kilauea volcano on the main island of the state.

The quake was not, however, large enough to trigger tsunami warnings for the island.

“Tsunami NOT expected,” the US National Tsunami Warning Centre tweeted.

Still, locals in Hawaii were warned that there after shocks could still be on the way, and that residents should make precautionary checks for damage.

Among those damages of most concern are impacts on utility connections like gas, electricity, and water, according to the state’s civil defence.