WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – A powerful undersea earthquake has hit northern New Zealand, sparking tsunami warnings for several island states.
The US Geological Agency says the 7.7 magnitude earthquake occurred Wednesday evening and was centered at a depth of 6 miles southeast of the Loyalty Islands.
The shaking was not expected to cause significant damage or fatalities on land.
The US Tsunami Alert Center warned of possible tsunami waves ranging from 0.3 to 1 meter (1 to 3.3 feet) off Vanuatu and Fiji.
A tsunami watch was issued and then canceled for American Samoa.
The area is prone to earthquakes because it lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the ocean.