Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Strikes Off Vanuatu, Tsunami Alert Issued

A large 7.2 earthquake struck off the coast of the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu today and there was a possibility of tsunamis, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

The earthquake struck 151 km (94 miles) north northwest of Santo on Vanuatu and was 35 km deep, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The shallower a earthquake, the more damage it is likely to cause. USGS first measured the earthquake at 10 km deep.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

Earthquakes are common in the area and even large tremors often cause no tsunamis. A 7.3 magnitude quake struck off Vanuatu in October and a 6.3 quake struck in December without causing any damage.

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