An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 on the Richter scale struck Myanmar on Monday.
The National Centre for Seismology reports that the earthquake struck Myanmar around 8:15 in the morning. Up until this point, there have been no reports of casualties.
Earlier, an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 that struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands in the French territory of New Caledonia triggered a tsunami warning for countries in the South Pacific on Friday. The tsunami threats were issued for Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia.
According to the US Geological Survey, the quake on Friday was near the Loyalty Islands. It was 37 kilometers (23 miles) deep. That is southwest of Fiji, north of New Zealand, and east of Australia.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also said small waves were possible for Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Guam and other Pacific islands. It further said waves up to 1 meter (3 feet) above tides were possible for Vanuatu, much lower than the initial forecast. New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency said it expected coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents, with unpredictable surges at the shoreline.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves less than half a meter (1.5 feet) were measured off Lenakel, a port town in the island nation. Smaller waves were measured elsewhere, off Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office advised people to evacuate from coastal areas to higher ground. The office said people should listen to their radios for updates and take other precautionary measures.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was 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 kilometers (23 miles) deep. The area is part of the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
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