CALEDONIA: People across the South Pacific were asked to avoid going to coastal areas due to the risk of tsunami waves following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday southeast of the Loyalty Islands in the French territory of New Caledonia.
Potential tsunami threats have been issued for Vanuatu, Fiji, and New Caledonia, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said. In contrast, The Meteorology Bureau of Australia said there was a threat to Lord Howe Island off its east coast.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that the quake hit at a depth of about 38 km.
New Zealand said it is still assessing if the quake posed any tsunami threats to its coasts.
