A powerful earthquake struck off the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Saturday, sending coastal residents scrambling for higher ground under a tsunami warning that authorities lifted within the hour after the sea threat passed.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) first measured the quake at magnitude 7.2 before revising it to 6.9 after reviewing additional seismic data. The tremor struck at about 1:31 p.m. local time, with its epicentre roughly 200 kilometres (124 miles) west-northwest of Port-Olry, on the island of Espiritu Santo, at a depth of about 10 kilometres. A second quake of magnitude 6.3 was reported nearby.
Vanuatu's Geological Hazards Department warned people in coastal areas to move to higher ground, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said hazardous waves were possible along coastlines within 300 kilometres of the epicentre. Less than an hour later, the centre said the tsunami threat had passed. The US National Tsunami Warning Center confirmed there was no tsunami danger from the event.
No immediate reports of major damage
There were no immediate reports of significant damage or casualties, though assessments can take longer to reach Vanuatu's remote island communities. Former prime minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau wrote on social media that aftershocks were continuing — he counted five quakes on Saturday — and urged residents to stay safe and keep checking official alerts.
Vanuatu sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the arc of intense seismic activity where the Indo-Australian and Pacific tectonic plates meet, making it one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. The archipelago, about 1,750 kilometres east of Australia, has recorded dozens of tremors in recent weeks.
Why it matters
The Vanuatu sequence is a reminder of how quickly a Pacific island nation can go from a routine Saturday afternoon to a full tsunami alert — and how much depends on fast, accurate warnings. The revised magnitude, the rapid all-clear and the absence of early damage reports all point to a scare rather than a disaster, but with aftershocks still shaking the islands, officials are keeping coastal communities on alert.
Reporting based on the United States Geological Survey, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, the US National Tsunami Warning Center and Vanuatu's Geological Hazards Department.