Magnitude 6.3-6.5 earthquake strikes Coral Sea off Vanuatu; tsunami threat declared
In short
An earthquake struck the Coral Sea off Vanuatu at 07:21 Moscow time on 20 October. The Altai-Sayan branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' geophysical service put its magnitude at 6.5, while the US Geological Survey gave 6.3. TASS said no reports of casualties or destruction had come in, and Kommersant reported that a tsunami threat was declared.
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An earthquake struck the Coral Sea off Vanuatu at 07:21 Moscow time on 20 October, the Altai-Sayan branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences said, as reported by Interfax and Kommersant. The branch put the magnitude at 6.5. The US Geological Survey estimated it at 6.3, the figure TASS used in its headline. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to the Altai-Sayan branch, the epicentre was 195 km north-west of Port-Olry on Espiritu Santo island, part of the Pacific island state of Vanuatu, and about 128 km from the island's northern tip. Interfax said the branch rated the intensity of shaking at the epicentre as "devastating". The US Geological Survey put the source at a depth of 16 km. [ 2 ]
Kommersant reported, citing US Geological Survey data, that weaker tremors had been recorded in the area since 19 October before the main quake, and that a tsunami threat was declared. TASS said no information on casualties or destruction had been received. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The documents report a tsunami threat, but TASS said no information on casualties or damage had been received. The scale of any impact is not yet described in the documents.
Key facts
- The earthquake was recorded at 07:21 Moscow time on 20 October in the Coral Sea off Vanuatu. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The Altai-Sayan branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences gave a magnitude of 6.5. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The US Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.3 and the depth of the source at 16 km. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The epicentre was about 195 km north-west of Port-Olry on Espiritu Santo island and about 128 km from the island's northern tip, per the Altai-Sayan branch. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant reported that a tsunami threat was declared. [ 3 ]
- TASS said no information on casualties or destruction had been received. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The exact magnitude of the earthquake. The Altai-Sayan branch gave 6.5, the US Geological Survey 6.3; TASS's headline also says 6.3.
- Casualties and damage. TASS said no information had been received; the other documents do not address it. Interfax quoted the Altai-Sayan branch as rating shaking intensity at the epicentre as "devastating", but the documents do not report any actual damage.
- Who declared the tsunami threat and for which areas. Kommersant says only that a tsunami threat was declared.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Earthquake recorded off Vanuatu (Moscow time). [ 2 , 3 ]
- TASS publishes a report of a magnitude 6.3 quake and says no casualties or destruction were reported. [ 1 ]
- Interfax publishes details from the Altai-Sayan branch and the US Geological Survey. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant reports a tsunami threat was declared. [ 3 ]