No damage, injuries as earthquake hits Vanuatu; blast measures 6.8

Hawaii, United States (4E) – There is no threat of a Pacific wide tsunami after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake’s epicenter was 80 miles north of Santo, Vanuatu and shook the area at around 2:06 p.m. Hawaii time. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

The quake struck at a depth of 208 kilometres, 63 kilometres south-southwest of Sola at 9.28am (AEDT) on Friday, the USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a destructive tsunami was not generated, based on the earthquake and historical tsunami data.

The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some 1,750 kilometres (1,090 mi) east of northern Australia, 500 kilometres (310 mi) northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.

---

---