Climateupdated 1h ago2 min read
6.2 Earthquake Jolts Vanuatu Islands as 7.2 Quake Triggers Tsunami Alert Withdrawn
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8 Other4 Asian2 Latin American3 Other source typesThis article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck offshore Vanuatu at depth about 10 km, according to USGS. A tsunami warning was issued and later withdrawn with no damages confirmed.
17 outlets told this the same way.
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Quakes, depth, and locations
A magnitude-6.2 earthquake jolted the Vanuatu islands at a depth of 120 kilometers on Sunday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 7.2 magnitude earthquake near Vanuatu in Melanesia, with the quake located 200 kilometers west of Sola, Vanuatu at 4:31 p.m. HST on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, and striking at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The U.S. Geological Survey also reported a preliminary magnitude 6.9 earthquake off the coast of Vanuatu, and ABC News said the quake was centered 197 kilometers (122 miles) west-northwest of Port Olry at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).
The U.S. Geological Survey later listed another quake with a preliminary magnitude 6.3, and Anadolu Ajansı said it was located 170 km (106 mi) northwest of Port-Olry at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
Tsunami alerts and withdrawals
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center activated a tsunami alert after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurred in waters near Vanuatu, and Demócrata said the warning was canceled hours later. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center also issued an alert for the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in the vicinity of the Vanuatu archipelago, and Demócrata said the tsunami threat associated with that tremor was also ruled out.
KITV reported that the National Weather Service confirmed Hawaii was not under a tsunami watch after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit near Vanuatu, and KITV said there was no tsunami threat for Hawaii. NDTV said a tsunami warning was lifted after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Vanuatu, and NDTV said the magnitude was revised to 6.9 down from an earlier estimate of 7.2.
Aftershocks, monitoring, and impact
ABC News said several aftershocks were later recorded in the area, including a preliminary magnitude 6.3 quake, according to the USGS, and it said there were no immediate reports of damage. Anadolu Ajansı said the quake carried a green alert level, with light shaking, and it described the 6.3 event as being listed after the 6.9 shock.
India Today said it remained unclear whether the 7.2 and 6.9 readings represented two separate earthquakes or preliminary estimates of the same seismic event, and it said there was no confirmed information available about casualties or damage to buildings. The Times of India said a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean, and it placed the event in a broader stream of earthquake coverage that also included a 6.3-magnitude earthquake striking the Bonin Islands region of Japan.