7.1 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRIKES SOUTH PACIFIC

A 7.1-MAGNITUDE earthquake hit in the South Pacific near Vanuatu and New Caledonia's Loyalty Islands on Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The quake struck at a depth of 23 miles (37km) at 6:09pm local time, 37 miles (60km) northeast of Isangel in Vanuatu and 128 miles (206km) southeast of the Vanuatu capital, Port Vila, according to the USGS.
There was no threat of a widespread tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
"However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers of the earthquake epicenter," it said.

Source: AFP.