Wellington: A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Tuesday just off the coast of Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean, the USGS said.
The quake occurred at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 miles) and was centered 30 kilometers (10 miles) west of Port Vila, the largest city in the island nation. The jolt was followed by a magnitude 5.5 aftershock near the same location.
It was not immediately clear whether it caused any damage, but Vanuatu government websites were offline in the aftermath of the quake and phone numbers for the police and other public agencies did not connect.
The USGS warned of tsunami waves for some coasts on Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands that is home to about 330,000 people. Waves could reach 0.3 meters to 1 meter (1 to 3 feet) above the tide level, the agency said.
Some islands in the low-lying atoll nation are 3 feet above sea level.
The USGS also warned of tsunami waves registering less than 0.3 meters (1 foot) above the tide level for a number of nearby Pacific islands including Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Solomon Islands.
Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake Hits Pacific Island Nation of Vanuatu world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World Breaking Headlines Today
