An undersea earthquake has struck in the South Pacific, triggering tsunami alerts in New Zealand, Fiji and other Pacific islands. The 7.7 magnitude quake’s epicentre was 10km underwater and around 400km to the east of North Caledonia, according to authorities. The earthquake, which struck just after midnight on Thursday local time (1.20pm Wednesday GMT), followed at least three other tremors - with magnitudes ranging from 5.7 to 6.1 - that hit.
The quake hit north of New Zealand on Thursday midnight local time (1320 GMT)
It struck off the coasts of Vanuatu and New Caledonia at a depth of six miles
Authorities ordered local residents to move inland due to expected ocean surges
The first tsunami generated by the huge tremor have been confirmed by officials
The region is prone to earthquakes because it sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire
The US Geological Agency said the magnitude 7.7 quake was centred at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles) southeast of the Loyalty Islands. The shaking was not expected to cause significant damage or fatalities on land. The US Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings of possible tsunami waves ranging from 0.3 to 1 meters (1 to 3.3 feet) for Vanuatu and Fiji.