Tsunami alert issued after large quake hits off Vanuatu

A large 7.2 quake struck off the coast of the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu on Sunday and there was a possibility of tsunamis, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

The quake struck 151 km (94 miles) north northwest of Santo on Vanuatu and was 35 km deep, the US Geological Survey said. The shallower a quake, the more damage it is likely to cause. USGS first measured the quake at 10 km deep.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

Earthquakes are common in the area and even large tremors often cause no tsunamis. A 7.3 magnitude quake struck off Vanuatu in October and a 6.3 quake struck in December without causing any damage.