Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes near Vanuatu’s capital | Earthquake news

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The tsunami threat has passed for nearby islands after the earthquake near Vanuatu’s capital Porta Vila.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck near Port Vila, Vanuatu, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Initial reports said the quake struck Tuesday at a location 37 km (22.9 miles) from the capital and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles).

Later reports placed the earthquake’s depth at 43 km (26.7 miles), which was followed by a magnitude 5.5 aftershock near the same location.

Footage posted on social media showed strained windows and collapsed concrete columns at a building that houses foreign embassies in Port Vila, including those of the United States, France, New Zealand and Britain, Reuters news agency reports.

There were no initial reports of injuries or deaths.

Vanuatu government websites were offline in the aftermath of the earthquake, and phone numbers for the police and other government agencies were not connected. Social media channels for the country’s geohazards agency and the prime minister’s office have not been updated.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said it had observed waves after the earthquake, but later lifted the tsunami threat for neighboring islands, including Fiji, the Kermadec Islands, Kiribati, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said there was no tsunami threat to the country. New Zealand authorities also said there was no danger of a tsunami.