No tsunami threat to Hawaii after strong quake hits Vanuatu
WELLINGTON, New Zealand >> There is no tsunami threat to Hawaii following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that shook the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu on Sunday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. That triggered a tsunami warning that was withdrawn hours later.
The quake was centered 23 kilometers (15 miles) from Port Olry and hit at a depth of 27 kilometers (17 miles), the agency said. The distance between Vanuatu and Hawaii is 5,666 kilometers (3,521 miles), according to Google.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that a tsunami threat it had issued for nearby Vanuatu coasts has passed. 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.