VanuatuearthquaketsunamiPacificRing of Fire
Vanuatu Alerts Residents After 6.9‑Magnitude Earthquake Triggers Tsunami Warning
Published: October 24, 2026
Vanuatu’s Geological Hazards Department issued a tsunami warning after a 6.9‑magnitude earthquake struck 200 km northwest of Port‑Olry on Santo island on Saturday. The warning was lifted within hours after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre confirmed no tsunami threat.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre announced that a 6.9‑magnitude seismic event had jolted the waters 200 km northwest of Port‑Olry, prompting an immediate tsunami alert.
USGS initially pegged the quake at 7.2 but later revised it to 6.9; a secondary 6.3‑magnitude shock followed minutes later, and the region experienced multiple aftershocks.
Former Prime Minister Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau posted on Facebook, urging coastal residents to remain vigilant and regularly check official apps as five aftershocks registered that day.
Vanuatu, a low‑lying archipelago that straddles the Ring of Fire, routinely confronts such seismic activity, making coastal evacuations a standard precautionary measure.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre lifted the alert after confirming no wave threat, and local authorities are continuing to monitor seismic readings for any further activity.