The earthquake struck at a depth of 57 kilometers (35 mi) and was centered 30 kilometers (10 mi) west of Port Vila, the island nation’s largest city. After that shock, an aftershock of magnitude 5.5 occurred near the same place.
It was not immediately clear if it caused any damage, but Vanuatu government websites were offline after the earthquake and phone numbers for police and other public agencies were not connected. Social media channels for the country’s geohazard agency and the Prime Minister’s Office have not been updated.
A video posted on social media appeared to show a building housing some of Vanuatu’s diplomatic missions – including the UK, France and New Zealand – with some structural damage, from a wall With broken windows and debris on the ground.
The USGS issued a tsunami warning for some coasts of Vanuatu, a group of 80 islands that is home to about 330,000 people. Waves could reach 0.3 meters to 1 meter (1 to 3 feet) above the tide level, the agency said.
Some of the lower atoll nation’s islands are 3 feet above sea level.
The USGS also warned that nearby Pacific island countries, including Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the Solomon Islands, would register tsunami waves less than 0.3 meters (1 ft) above the high tide level.
Authorities in Australia and New Zealand, located in the Pacific Ocean, said there was no tsunami threat in their countries.
New Zealand’s foreign ministry said 37 New Zealanders were registered in Vanuatu. The ministry has not given details about the status of their citizens.