Port Vila, Vanuatu — Two powerful earthquakes have struck the islands of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, the larger one measuring magnitude 7.2.

What happened:

The U.S. Geological Survey reports a magnitude 7.2 earthquake about 200 kilometers west of Sola, in Torba province, at 9:31 Friday night Central time. It hit at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers, which is the kind of depth that lets shaking travel far and strong.

A second earthquake, magnitude 6.9, struck the same region about half a minute earlier, roughly 197 kilometers west-northwest of Port-Olry. The two quakes hit so close together that shaking would have felt like one long, rolling event across the northern islands.

Because of the 7.2's size and shallow depth, tsunami information has been issued for the region. Officials in Vanuatu and neighboring countries are reviewing whether any tsunami threat exists for coastal communities.

Impacts:

USGS has received early felt reports from the islands. Details on damage are still coming in — the quake zone is offshore and remote, so it takes time for word to travel. Vanuatu sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and regularly experiences strong earthquakes, and buildings in the northern islands are built with quake risk in mind.

What to do:

If you are in the Vanuatu islands or nearby Pacific coastlines, stay alert for official tsunami updates from local authorities. Move away from the shoreline and low-lying areas until officials give the all-clear. Do not go to the coast to watch for waves — a dangerous tsunami can arrive as a fast-moving wall of water with little warning.

If you felt shaking: drop, cover, and hold on during any aftershock. Check for broken gas lines, downed power lines, and structural cracks before re-entering buildings. Expect aftershocks — strong ones can follow for hours after a quake this size.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), October 23, 2026.