Magnitude 7.3 earthquake jolts Vanuatu Islands

A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.3 jolted Vanuatu Islands in the early hours of Tuesday, the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) reported.

The earthquake occurred at 5.47am, UAE time.

The earthquake was recorded at a depth of 10km at Latitude 17.68 S and Longitude 168.03 E, according to the National Centre of Seismology (NCS).

Footage posted on social media showed buckled windows and collapsed concrete pillars on a building hosting foreign embassies in the capital.

Following the earthquake, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami warning.

However, authorities in neighbouring New Zealand and Australia said there was currently no tsunami threat to their countries.

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which is a specialized agency of the United Nations notes that Vanuatu Islands, located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, are prone to earthquakes.

The majority of Vanuatu's islands are of volcanic origin and are relatively higher than most other Pacific Island countries. Like other small island developing states, Vanuatu has an acute vulnerability to climate change, natural disasters and global shocks, and limited capacity to cope or recover, the IFAD noted.

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