International

Earthquake in Pacific leads tsunami waves in Vanuatu; see pics

Published on May 19, 2023

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre reported that a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in the distant Pacific caused modest tsunami waves in Vanuatu, with waves measuring less than 1.5 feet off the island nation’s port town of Lenakel. Smaller waves were observed elsewhere, it added.

Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office encouraged people to evacuate from coastal areas to higher ground, adding that they should listen to their radios for updates and take other precautionary precautions.

The National Emergency Management Agency of New Zealand also stated that severe and unusual currents were likely in coastal locations.

Small waves were predicted for Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Guam, and other Pacific islands.

According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake’s epicentre was near the Loyalty Islands, southwest of Fiji, north of New Zealand, and east of Australia. It was 37 kilometres (23 miles) deep in an area part of the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults. The region is home to the majority of the world’s earthquakes.

Here are some pics