An earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, recorded in the Pacific Ocean, southeast of New Caledonia, prompted the issuance of a tsunami warning.
The tremor was detected at a depth of 37 km, near the Loyalty Islands and 333.8 km off the coast of New Caledonia, the USGS announced.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said a tsunami was “possible” within a radius of 1,000 kilometers around the epicenter, including waves of up to three meters in the Republic of Vanuatu.
“Based on preliminary earthquake parameters, dangerous tsunami waves are possible on coastlines within 1,000 kilometers of the earthquake epicenter,” the PTWC said in a statement.
The center called on the inhabitants of the threatened coastal areas to remain vigilant.
The receptionist at a hotel in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that she did not feel any tremors.
Source: TSF
