Quake shakes Vanuatu

2006-01-23 10:42

Sydney, Australia - A magnitude 6.2 earthquake has struck near the Pacific Island of Vanuatu, the US Geological Survey said on Monday.

There were no immediate reports of damages.

The earthquake struck at 06:02 GMT approximately 70 kilometres northwest of Port Vila on the island of Efate, which lies approximately 1 890 kilometres east of Australia.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii said the quake could potentially cause a localised tsunami.

"Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within 100 kilometres of the earthquake epicentre," the centre said on its website.

"Authorities in the region of the epicentre should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action."

- AP