WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Tuesday simply off the coast of Vanuatu within the South Pacific Ocean, the USGS mentioned.
The quake occurred at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles) and was centered 30 kilometers (10 miles) west of Port Vila, the most important metropolis within the island nation. The jolt was adopted by a magnitude 5.5 aftershock close to the identical location.
It was not instantly clear whether or not it triggered any harm, however Vanuatu authorities web sites have been offline within the aftermath of the quake and telephone numbers for the police and different public businesses didn’t join.
The USGS warned of tsunami waves for some coasts on Vanuatu, a gaggle of 80 islands that’s residence to about 330,000 individuals. Waves may attain 0.3 meters to 1 meter (1 to three ft) above the tide degree, the company mentioned.
Some islands within the low-lying atoll nation are 3 ft above sea degree.
The USGS additionally warned of tsunami waves registering lower than 0.3 meters (1 foot) above the tide degree for plenty of close by Pacific islands together with Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Solomon Islands.
