Vanuatu region

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake — a major event — struck near Vanuatu region on October 2, 2021, at a deep-focus depth of about 527 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; deep-focus earthquakes rarely cause major surface damage despite their size. A tsunami threat was flagged for this event — large, shallow quakes beneath or near the ocean can lift the seafloor and generate destructive waves. 15 people submitted "Did You Feel It?" shaking reports to the USGS. Casualties, damage and the recovery depend on local building standards, population and distance from the epicentre — the news coverage, references and photos below capture what happened on the ground.