7.2-magnitude quake hits Guam

WASHINGTON - A major 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck southwest of US territory Guam Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported on its website.

The quake occurred at 7:19 a.m. Saturday (local time), 375 km southwest of Hagatna (formerly Agana), capital of Guam, at a depth of 4.7 km, the USGS said.

The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that, based on historical earthquake and tsunami data, no destructive widespread tsunami threat exists, Xinhua reported.

“However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts within 100 km of the earthquake epicentre. Authorities in the region of the epicentre should be aware of this possibility

and take appropriate action,” the centre said.

Guam is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands. It is an organised, unincorporated territory of the US and one of five US territories with an established civilian government.