A power 8.0 magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami to sweep through several South Pacific Islands in the Solomon Islands on Wednesday.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami of about 3 feet was measured in Lata wharf. Smaller waves were recorded in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. And the warning was limited to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Kosrae, Fiji, Kiribati, and Wallis and Futuna.

CNN reported that five people have died from the powerful wave at the Santa Cruz Islands according to Lata hospital's director of nursing, Augustine Pilve. The death toll was expected to rise.

"It's more likely that other villages along the coast of Santa Cruz may be affected," he said.

Solomon Islands Police Commissioner John Lansley said it's too early to determine the full extent of the damage.

"Sadly, we believe some people have lost their lives," he said. "At the moment we potentially know of four, but there may of course be more."

Photo Credi: U.S. Geological Survey