Major 7.6 quake strikes western Pacific: USGS

WELLINGTON: A major 7.6-magnitude quake struck at a shallow depth under the sea near Vanuatu in the western Pacific early Sunday local time, the US Geological Survey said.

The US's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami alert for Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia shortly after the quake, which the USGS said was 24 kilometres (15 miles) deep.

The epicentre was 135 kilometres west of Isangel, on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, and 200 kilometres north of Tadine in the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia.

The quake struck at 12:16am on Sunday local time (1316 GMT Saturday). There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Vanuatu, which lies between Fiji and Australia and north of New Zealand, is in the "Pacific Ring of Fire" known for its seismic and volcanic activity caused by moving plates in the Earth's crust.