Magnitude 7.7 quake in far Pacific creates tsunami threat for Vanuatu

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• May 19, 2023 | Dhupali Das

A 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the far Pacific on Friday caused small tsunami waves in Vanuatu...

Digital Desk: A 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the far Pacific on Friday caused small tsunami waves in Vanuatu. 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said that waves measuring less than half a metre (1.5 feet) were observed off the island nation's port town of Lenakel. Smaller waves were measured off the coasts of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

Vanuatu's National Disaster Management Office recommended people to evacuate from coastal areas to higher ground. The office advised residents to listen to their radios for updates and to take other safety measures.

The National Emergency Management Agency of New Zealand predicted that coastal areas would see severe and uncommon currents, with unexpected waves near the shoreline.

Small waves might also hit Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Guam, and other Pacific islands, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.

According to the US Geological Survey, the quake's epicentre occurred near the Loyalty Islands, southwest of Fiji, north of New Zealand, and east of Australia, where the Coral Sea meets the Pacific. It was 37 kilometres (23 miles) deep.

The region is part of the Ring of Fire, an arc of seismic faults that circles the Pacific Ocean and is responsible for the majority of the world's earthquakes.

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