A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the South Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu on Sunday, sending tremors through the region. The quake, which occurred at 9:23 a.m. local time, had its epicenter 83 kilometers northwest of the capital, Port Vila, and a depth of 29 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey. Despite its significant magnitude, there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also stated that there was no risk of a tsunami being generated by the earthquake.
Vanessa Apuary, a hotel worker in Port Vila, described the earthquake’s impact as “heavy and slow” but noted that it caused minimal damage in the city. “It wasn’t that big,” she said. “There’s no damage at all in Port Vila.”
Vanuatu is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where approximately 90% of the world’s earthquakes and 80% of its largest earthquakes occur. A year ago, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu, causing a small tsunami to wash ashore but no significant damage was reported..
