A strong and shallow magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near Port-Olry in Vanuatu early February 14 with authorities confirming there is no tsunami threat.
The earthquake hit at 02:27 UTC at a depth of about 10 km. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) recorded the event at magnitude 6.5 at the same depth, News.Az reports, citing the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The epicenter was located about 53 km west-northwest of Port-Olry, 92 km northwest of Luganville, and roughly 365 km north-northwest of the capital, Port Vila.
Seismic data suggests around 1,000 people experienced very strong shaking, while thousands more felt strong to light tremors across the region.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirmed the quake does not pose a tsunami risk.
The USGS issued a Green alert level, indicating a low likelihood of casualties or major economic damage. However, experts note that many buildings in the region are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, particularly wood and non-engineered structures.
Secondary hazards such as landslides remain possible in steep terrain, though widespread ground failure or liquefaction is not expected.