New Caledonia Strong earthquake in the South Pacific
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 has occurred in the South Pacific east of Australia.
17.12.2024, 04:37
SDA
The US earthquake monitoring station USGS located the quake on Tuesday between the island state of Vanuatu and the French overseas territory of New Caledonia at a depth of around 57 kilometers - about 30 kilometers west of Vanuatu's capital Port Vila. Shortly afterwards, the region was shaken by a magnitude 5.5 aftershock. Videos and photos published on the internet show damage to buildings in Vanuatu. There was initially no information about possible casualties.
According to media reports, the New Zealand disaster management authority and the GNS Science research institute are investigating whether the quake triggered a tsunami. Tsunami waves are therefore possible within a radius of 300 kilometers around the epicenter.
Vanuatu and New Caledonia are located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on earth.
