Categories: Environment

New Caledonia lifts tsunami warning triggered by Pacific Ocean earthquake

New Caledonia (AFP): New Caledonia has lifted a tsunami warning triggered after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck on Friday in the Pacific Ocean southwest of the island.

The quake was detected at a depth of 37 kilometres (23 miles), the US Geological Service said.

Following the warning, authorities ordered an evacuation of coastal areas. Warning sirens had been activated and people were asked to leave areas near the island’s coastline, Colonel Marchi Leccia, a security official, told a local radio station. An AFP journalist reported that at least one beach had been evacuated.

Tsunami waves of one-to-three metres above tide were possible along some coastal areas of Vanuatu, the Honolulu-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

It also warned of possible smaller tsunami waves of 0.3-1.0 metres in New Caledonia, Fiji, Kiribati and New Zealand.

A hotel receptionist in the New Caledonia capital Noumea told AFP she felt no shaking from the tremor.

A travel agent on the island of Ile des Pins on the eastern edge of the New Caledonia archipelago said earlier on Friday that she had not felt the tremor or heard any evacuation warning.

“Everybody is still on the beach and in the restaurants,” she said.

The Frontier Post

Recent Posts

PHC stops NAB proceedings against Chinese company

Humayun Khan PESHAWAR: A divisional bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC) comprised of Justice Ijaz…

4 hours ago

EU army may be unlikely but unity on defense a must

Khaled Abou Zahr An exhibition of Western military equipment captured from Ukrainian forces by Russia…

4 hours ago

How retail can regenerate historic districts

Fady Halim and Joe Rached The growth of GCC cities has been remarkable. Between 1970…

4 hours ago

The Middle East’s ‘1989 moment’

Faisal J. Abbas There were a hectic but fruitful few days in Riyadh this week…

4 hours ago

Active Clubs: A new far-right threat to democratic elections

Broderick McDonald Across North America and Europe, the far-right Active Clubs movement is expanding at…

4 hours ago

This website uses cookies.