SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — A shallow 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fiji on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, triggering a local tsunami warning.
The quake hit at a depth of 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) some 221 kilometers from Nadi and 283 kilometers from the Fijian capital Suva.
“Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300 kilometers of the epicenter along the coasts of Fiji,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, adding that waves could be up to one meter above the tide level.
Geoscience Australia said damage was possible only within an estimated 110 kilometer radius, well away from the nearest land.
The area lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a highly active tectonic zone that frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
© 1994-2017 Agence France-Presse
