Forecasters said tsunami waves hitting the coastline of the Pacific Island nation could reach up to a meter, or 3.2 feet, above the tide level.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu early Tuesday afternoon local time, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The epicenter of the earthquake was about 18 miles off the coast of Port Vila, Vanuatu’s coastal capital, the agency said. The country is about 1,000 miles northeast of Australia and comprises over 80 islands with a population of about 300,000.
Tsunami waves reaching up to 3.2 feet above the tide level were possible for some costal areas of Vanuatu, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said. Waves of less than one foot were possible for the coasts of nearby island nations like Fiji, Kiribati and New Caledonia, it said.
This is a developing story.
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