a 7.3 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Vanuatu, raising fears of a tsunami

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake occurred on Tuesday, December 17, off the coast of Vanuatu, in the Pacific, announced the United States Geological Survey (USGS), triggering an alert for tsunami.

The epicenter of this earthquake (initially measured at 7.4 magnitude) was recorded at a depth of 43 kilometers in the sea, just thirty kilometers west of the island nation's capital, Port- Villa.

“Tsunami waves were observed”indicated in a bulletin the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which predicts the arrival of waves up to one meter high along certain coasts of Vanuatu.

Much smaller waves (around 30 centimeters according to the alert center) are also feared in Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.