BREAKING: Major 7.3 M earthquake centered near Vanuatu, reported at 5:52 p.m. EDT: #earthquake #quake #vanuatu pic.twitter.com/5MqsoD3fkW
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) October 20, 2015
Vanuatu was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake centered 22 miles northeast of Port-Olry, the Weather Channel reports.
Shadrack Welegtabit, director of Vanuatu’s National Disaster Management Office, told the Weather Channel that people in Vanuatu's capital felt the quake as heavy and slow-moving, but that the tremors were not strong enough to knock items off shelves. Officials are still awaiting reports on any potential damage or injuries from islands near the epicenter.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that a "Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected."
Vanuatu is still recovering from damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Pam, which struck the area on March 13 and was the second strongest cyclone to hit Vanuatu since a storm in 1979.
Read the Weather Channel report here, and keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for further updates on this developing story.