1 min readOct 24, 2026 09:01 AM IST First published on: Oct 24, 2026 at 08:32 AM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookMagnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes waters near Vanuatu, USGS says. (Photo: Representational)An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 struck the sea near the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Saturday, October 24, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii warned that “dangerous tsunami waves could impact coasts within 300 kilometers of the epicenter”. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake hit at 2.31am UTC, about 200 kilometres west of the town of Sola and about 10 kilometres below the sea surface. No deaths or damage have been reported so far.Notable quake, preliminary info: M 6.3 – 170 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu https://t.co/jVe4pf52He— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) October 24, 2026The warning centre said the first wave was expected to reach Espiritu Santo at about 3.01 am UTC, but it said the real time could differ and that the first wave may not be the largest. It said the effect would depend on the coastline, the depth of the water and the tide. The USGS first measured the quake automatically, so its figures could change.This is a developing story and will be updated.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement