A magnitude 7.4 earthquake off the southern Pacific Ocean island of Vanuatu prompted a tsunami warning for the nearby Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said today.
The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.6, struck at 6.14pm and was centred at a depth of 36km, the US geological survey said.
The quake was 36km deep and centred 244km northwest of Santo in Vanuatu.
"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicentre within minutes to hours," the tsunami centre said, adding that it was not yet clear whether a tsunami had actually been generated.
It said the warning was in effect for the region only and that it would not expand to other areas of the Pacific based on the information known so far.
Reuters