LIVE | Vanuatu Earthquake 2023: Tsunami warning withdrawn after 7.0 earthquake, why is the archipelago earthquake prone?

The Solomon Islands, a neighbouring island nation to the north of Vanuatu, had a 7.0 earthquake in November. There were no reports of significant damages or injuries.

Vanuatu, an island nation, together with 17 other nations, submitted a draft resolution on Wednesday urging the world's highest court to specify what obligations governments worldwide have to safeguard future generations from climate change. Vanuatu has been working for years to obtain legal clarification for all nations about the effects of climate change. A major step in that effort was the publishing of the legal question that the countries want the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to consider.
 

The tropical cyclone season in Vanuatu typically lasts from November to May, according to the UK travel guide. Strong gusts, heavy rain, and the ensuing flooding, landslides, and road closures are all quite likely during this time.
 

According to the United Nations, Vanuatu is located on the "Ring of Fire," a network of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent. Each year, over 2,000 earthquake occurrences are documented. Even though the majority of these occurrences are minor, earthquakes and tremors with a magnitude of exceeding 5 do happen often.
 

After a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the South Pacific Ocean nation a tsunami warning was issued however, the warning was withdrawn hours later. After the warning was initially issued, several Vanuatu citizens escaped to higher ground.
 

A 22-year-old student, Kayson Pore, from the village of Hog Harbour in Espiritu Santo shared how fearful the 7.0 magnitude of Vanuatu earthquake was for him. Describing the experience to AFP news agency, he said that he was looking for crab on the beach with half a dozen friends when the earthquake hit. He said "it was very huge." "We ran for our lives and then we ran to our homes," he added.