Huge 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocks South Pacific
A POWERFUL 7.2 magnitude earthquake has struck near the Vanuatu islands in the South Pacific.
Vanuatu: USGS reports 7.2 magnitude earthquake near coast
The quake was at a depth of 531 km (329 miles), the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. It was upgraded from a magnitude of 6.7.
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake has struck near the Vanuatu islands in the South Pacific
No tsunami warning was issued due to the depth of the earthquake, the US Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries or damages from the earthquake.
Vanuatu is made up of 13 principal and many smaller islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The Y-shaped archipelago is located about 500 miles (800 km) west of Fiji and 1,100 miles (1,770 km) east of Australia.
The islands are volcanic in origin.
Vanuatu has a population of about 270,000.
Earthquakes are fairly common in the region.