5.7 magnitude earthquake shakes Vanuatu

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck the western region of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, hours after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake in the Lau Basin triggered a tsunami alert in waters near Fiji yesterday.

The latest quake in Vanuatu, a country of around 250,000 people, resulted in no casualties or major damage, authorities said.

SBS reports the United States Geological Survey, which records seismic activity worldwide, located the hypocentre 15 kilometres deep at sea and 126 kilometres west of Port-Vila, the capital.

Vanuatu is located near the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire and the submarine volcanoes in the Lau Basin, which is why it often registers shakes of seismic origin.

Earlier, a tsunami alert was following the 6.9 magnitude earthquake near Fiji, which was followed by several strong aftershocks.

Source: SBS