Pacific tsunami: warning issued after strong earthquake hits ‘Ring of Fire’

Vanuatu is home to about 280,000 people
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A tsunami warning was issued after a powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu.

The earthquake was centred 15 miles from Port Olry and hit at a depth of 17 miles on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued an alert for coasts within 186 miles of the epicentre – before withdrawing it hours later, saying the threat had passed.

An aerial view of a cruise ship docked on December 07, 2019 in Port Vila, Vanuatu.  (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)An aerial view of a cruise ship docked on December 07, 2019 in Port Vila, Vanuatu.  (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
An aerial view of a cruise ship docked on December 07, 2019 in Port Vila, Vanuatu. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Vanuatu is home to about 280,000 people and prone to natural disasters, with six active volcanoes and regular cyclones and earthquakes. It sits on the Pacific “Ring Of Fire” – the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.

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