World
Strong earthquake hits the Pacific off Vanuatu, no tsunami threat
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 has struck the Pacific Ocean off Vanuatu, seismologists say. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The earthquake, which struck at 5:06 a.m. local time on Wednesday, was centered just off Toga, an island in the Torres Islands archipelago in Torba province. It has a small population of a few hundred people.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) put the preliminary magnitude at 6.6, down from an initial estimate of 6.8. It said it struck at a depth of 47 kilometers (29 miles), making it a shallow earthquake.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there is no threat of a tsunami.
The Vanuatu Islands are on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region.
-
US News1 week ago
Child in California tests positive for H5 bird flu
-
Legal1 week ago
Joshua Altheef: 7-year-old autistic boy missing in West Chester Twp., Ohio
-
World1 week ago
Diver killed in shark attack near New Zealand’s Chatham Island
-
Business3 days ago
Trump announces tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China as part of first-day Executive Orders
-
World1 week ago
U.S. warns Russia may launch ‘significant air attack’ against Ukraine
-
World1 week ago
Volcano erupts on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula
-
Politics1 week ago
Putin signs new doctrine lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons
-
Politics5 days ago
NATO chief Rutte meets Trump to discuss global security