Another 7.1 earthquake rocks east of New Caledonia in Pacific Ocean, tsunami warning issued

Another 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked east of New Caledonia Saturday in the Pacific Ocean, the US Geological Survey said. This comes a day after a major quake of magnitude 7.7 hit the same area. The epicentre was located at 35 kilometres (22 miles) depth and was at nearly 300 kilometres (190 miles) east of the New Caledonian archipelago, the USGS said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre stated in its most recent bulletin that any tsunami waves are anticipated to be smaller than 0.3 metres (one foot) in height. A tsunami warning was issued for coasts within 300 kilometres (185 miles) of the epicentre. It was reported that the waves may reach the Pacific islands of Fiji, Kiribati, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna.

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Tsunami warnings were issued to countries in the South Pacific on Friday following a 7.7 quake southeast of the Loyalty Islands in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia.A 7.7-magnitude earthquake that occurred in the same region on Friday caused inhabitants on many Pacific islands to flee to higher ground out of fear of colossal waves. Hours later, the tsunami warning was cancelled.

Vanuatu Tsunami

After the massive 7.7 quake in the Pacific, small tsunami waves hit Vanuatu in the South Pacific. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, waves less than 1.5 feet high were recorded off the island nation's port city of Lenakel. The Loyalty Islands are a province in the French territory of New Caledonia, and the US Geological Survey states that the earthquake's epicentre was close to those islands.

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The location is where the Coral Sea joins the Pacific, southwest of Fiji, north of New Zealand, and east of Australia. The region was no longer under tsunami warning since the threat has mostly subsided.

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The National Disaster Management Office of Vanuatu recommended residents to flee coastal regions and climb to higher elevations as quickly as possible. Additionally, the authorities advised citizens to tune in to their radios for updates and additional warnings.Not only Vanuatu, but also Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, and Guam had to deal with powerful and peculiar currents. The National Emergency Management Agency of New Zealand predicts that the country's coastal regions may also see heavy waves.

(This is a developing story)

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