Tsunami warning issued for Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia after 7.2 quake

Tsunami warning issued for Western Pacific

HONOLULU — The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu has issued a tsunami warning for Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.

The warning was issued Thursday morning, Hawaii time, following an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3.

It was centered in Vanuatu, about 133 north-northwest of Santo, or 1,290 miles northeast of Brisbane, Australia.

The warning center says it’s not known if a tsunami was generated

However, it says a quake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region within minutes to hours.