Vanuatu Islands in the Pacific Ocean were struck by a horrifying earthquake measuring 7.6 on Richter scale early Sunday, which has led to tsunami warning for the region, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The timing of this earthquake can just be a reminder of Boxer’s day Tsunami in 2004 in the India Ocean. Just after midnight local time (8:16 a.m. ET), this high magnitude earthquake struck just 135 kilometers west of the island of Tanna, Vanuatu, and the epicenter is 1,740 kilometers off Australia’s eastern coast.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has released a warning for the Pacific regions including Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji.
“An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicenter within minutes to hours,” the center said.
“Authorities in the region should take appropriate action in response to this possibility.”
However, the center didn’t issue any tsunami warning for the American state of Hawaii, but it is expected that rough seas and strong currents can hit the coastal areas islands in the state could.
