Powerful quake hits off Vanuatu, tsunami alert canceled

By Recep Sakar

MELBOURNE, Australia (AA) – A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Friday, but a tsunami warning issued after the powerful temblor has been canceled.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the initial quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles) around 535 kilometers (332 miles) southeast of Vanuatu.

It was followed by a magnitude 6.1 temblor that hit around 460 kilometers southwest of the nearby island nation of Tonga some 90 minutes later.

Australian media reported that the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for areas near the initial quake, only to cancel it later, saying there was no Pacific-wide threat.

There were no immediate reports of causalities or damage.

Vanuatu and Tongo sit on the Ring of Fire, an arc of faults in the Pacific that is the most seismic in the world.