A mammoth 7.4 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Vanuatu sparking an urgent tsunami warning.
The quake struck 29km west of Port Vila on the island of Efate at a depth of 57km at 12.47pm local time, according to EMSC.
A 5.5 magnitude aftershock was recorded just minutes later.
The series of earthquakes caused significant damage to the U.S Embassy to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
Footage from outside the building shows some of the windows were crushed while other frames appear warped by the impact of the quake.
Hazardous tsunami waves between 0.3 and one metre are forecast for the coasts of Fiji, Kermadec Islands, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Wallis and Futuna, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
‘Persons located in threatened coastal areas should stay alert for information and follow instructions from national and local authorities,’ it said in a statement.
The center said impacts of the tsunami would vary depending on the section of coast.
The series of earthquakes caused significant damage to the U.S Embassy to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (pictured)
Footage from outside the building shows some of the windows were crushed while other frames appear warped by the impact of the quake (pictured)
The 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck 29km west of Port Villa on the island of Efate (pictured)
‘Impacts can also vary depending upon the state of the tide at the time of the maximum tsunami waves. Persons caught in the water of a tsunami may drown, be crushed by debris in the water or be swept out to sea.’
There is no tsunami threat to Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed.
Port Vila is just under 2,000km away from Australia.
It takes just under four hours to fly to the popular holiday destination from Sydney.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
