A tsunami alert was issued for the Pacific nation of Vanuatu by the U.S. Geological Survey after the region was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Sunday.
According to the agency, the quake was centred 23 kilometres (15 miles) from Port Olry and hit at a depth of 27 kilometres (17 miles). This in turn led to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issuing a tsunami threat for the places near the Vanuatu coast.
Meanwhile, there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Vanuatu is home to about 280,000 people and is prone to natural disasters, with a half-dozen active volcanoes as well as regular cyclones and earthquakes. It sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.
(With inputs from AP)
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