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New Delhi: A large 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the South Pacific on Thursday, triggering a small tsunami in the region. Small islands in the area have reported no damage. The earthquake reportedly occurred after midnight, about 415 kilometers (258 miles) east of Vao in New Caledonia at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The US government’s NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said “dangerous tsunami waves” were forecast for some coasts in the region. According to reports, a 0.3 meter high wave hit the island of Fiji. “The seismology observatory on its assessments has now verified and confirmed the cancellation of the warning and ‘all clear information’ (is) issued to the entire Fiji group,” the Fiji Department of Seismology said in a tweet.
No threat to land, so no tsunami warning – New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said Lord Howe Island, which lies at a distance of about 550 kilometers east of the Australian mainland, was under threat from a tsunami. The agency, however, added that there was no need for an evacuation.
New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency noted that there were “unusual and strong currents” in the northern coastal areas of the country. The department ruled out an increased tsunami risk off its shores and refrained from issuing a tsunami warning.
“There is no threat to land, so we have not issued a tsunami warning … stay out of the water and stay away from the beaches … Wake everyone up at 4:00 or 5:00 am in the morning with Mobile emergency alerts that we did not feel were a proportionate response, “Roger Ball of New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency told Radio New Zealand.
Frequent volcanic and seismic activity is observed in the Pacific Ring of Fire. 4,300 people lost their lives when a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. In 2004, 2.2 lakh died when a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra. 1.7 people died in Indonesia during the disaster.
