Tsunami Warning Issued as Magnitude 7.7 Quake Hits Near New Caledonia

By Staff, Agencies

Tsunami warnings were triggered following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck beneath the Pacific Ocean southeast of New Caledonia, emergency monitoring agencies said.

The quake was detected at a depth of 37km, the US Geological Service said on Friday, and countries across the Pacific issued alerts for the threat of tsunamis.

“Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts within 1,000km of the earthquake epicenter,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center [PTWC] said in a bulletin.

The PTWC said waves up to 3 meters above tides were possible for Vanuatu and urged people in threatened coastal areas to be alert. Smaller waves were possible for Fiji, New Caledonia, Kiribati and New Zealand, the center said.

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

Vanuatu’s 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 alert.

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.

New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency said that strong and unusual currents and surges could be expected along coastal areas as a result of the tsunami activity, though there was no need to evacuate as inundation was not expected.