Magnitude 7.7 earthquake stikes in South Pacific

A major magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck in the South Pacific on Thursday. The earthquake generated a tsunami that threatened island nations in the region.

The earthquake struck on Thursday local time (1320 GMT Wednesday) about 415 kilometers east of Vao in New Caledonia. The depth of the earthquake was 10 kilometers, according to the US Geological Survey.

The US government’s NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said “hazardous tsunami waves” were forecast for some coasts.

It said waves reaching between 0.3 and one meters above the tide level were possible for Fiji, New Zealand, and Vanuatu.

A wave of 0.3 meters struck Fiji, according to the Twitter feed of the island nation’s seismology department.

It provided no further details.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology also confirmed about tsunami in a tweet.

The bureau warned of a threat to Lord Howe Island, which is about 550 kilometers east of Australia’s mainland.

The New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency released a statement telling people in coastal areas to move away from waterfronts.

“We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake,” the disaster agency said.

“People in or near the sea in the following areas should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbors, rivers, and estuaries.”

However, the affected areas included the far north of New Zealand’s north island, the Great Barrier Island east of Auckland, and a stretch of coast along the country’s east.

There were no initial reports of casualties or damage from the tsunami or the quake. USGS initially recorded It at magnitude 7.5 before reversing to 7.7.

The Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity.