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7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Pacific Ocean, tsunami warning issued

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Vanuatu Islands region in the South Pacific Ocean.

1 min read Oct 24, 2026 09:01 AM IST First published on: Oct 24, 2026 at 08:32 AM IST

Magnitude 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.…