Tsunami warning as magnitude 7.7 quake hits near New Caledonia

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean southeast of New Caledonia, triggering a tsunami warning, US monitoring agencies say.

The quake was detected at a depth of 37km (23 miles), the US Geological Service said on Friday.

“Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts within 1,000km (620 miles) of the earthquake epicentre,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) said in a bulletin.

It urged people in threatened coastal areas to be alert.

The PTWC said waves up to 3 metres (10 feet) above tides were possible for Vanuatu.

Smaller waves were possible for Fiji, New Caledonia, Kiribati and New Zealand.

The Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department said an earthquake of such magnitude had the potential to cause “destructive Tsunami waves” of 1-3 metres (3-10 feet) that could strike Vanuatu coastlines.

The National Disaster Management Office advised people “to take appropriate action and precautionary measures, including “immediate evacuation from coastal areas to higher grounds”, according to an information bulletin on the department’s website.

Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology said there was no tsunami threat to mainland Australia but Lord Howe Island – located 780km (421 nautical miles) northeast of Sydney in the Tasman Sea – was under a threat warning.

(Aljazeera)