New Caledonia earthquake: 7.8-magnitude quake triggers tsunami warning
Hong Kong CNN —
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the South Pacific on Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, triggering a tsunami warning for nearby nations including Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati and the northern tip of New Zealand.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for coasts located within 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of the epicenter which lay between Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency tweeted that there was currently no threat of a tsunami for Hawaii.
Tsunami waves reaching up to 3 meters are possible along some coasts of Vanuatu, while waves between 0.3 to 1 meters might be expected in Fiji, Kiribati and New Zealand, the US National Tsunami Warning Center said.
The earthquake had a depth of 38 kilometers (23 miles), USGS said.
New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency tweeted that it is assessing whether the quake “poses any tsunami threat to New Zealand.”
The quake was earlier reported to be at 7.7-magnitude but has since been revised up.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
Source: CNN
