WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – A powerful submarine earthquake has struck northern New Zealand, causing tsunami warnings for several island nations.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Wednesday evening and focused at a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles) southeast of the Loyalty Islands.
The quake was not expected to cause significant damage or fatalities to the ground.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings of possible tsunami waves ranging from 0.3 to 1 meter (1 to 3.3 feet) for Vanuatu and Fiji.
A tsunami clock was issued and then canceled by American Samoa.
The region is prone to earthquakes because it is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a series of horseshoe-shaped seismic fault lines around the ocean.