Pacific nations hit by earthquakes

[Grant]

Multiple earthquakes, measuring 7.2, 7.1 and 6.0 have hit the areas of Japan and Vanuatu.

An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 has struck off the west coast of Japan's largest island, Honshu.

At least one person was killed and 150 were reportedly injured by the tremor which was felt in the capital, Tokyo. A tsunami warning was issued for a short time in Ishikawa prefecture, with waves of up to 50cm reported.


Meanwhile, two quakes - measured at 7.2 and 6.0 by the US - hit near Vanuatu in the southern Pacific Ocean. There were no reports of damage or casualties.

The larger quake struck at 1140 (0040 GMT Sunday), and was followed 28 minutes later by the magnitude 6.0 quake. Both were centred 335km (210 miles) south-east of the capital, Port Vila. Police said they were checking remote islands where the quake was closer to land areas.

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Earthquakes rock Pacific nations

[Grant]

A massive earthquake measuring magnitude 7.2 on the Richter Scale hit Vanuatu this afternoon.


It is a popular tourist destination for New Zealanders, particularly the capital Port Vila.

Preliminary data from the US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 1.08 pm New Zealand Time and its epicentre was 337 kilometres south east of Port Vila.

They said it was 35 kilometres deep.

A short time before, at 12.42pm, a magnitude 6.7 quake struck 361 kilometres north of Tokyo, killing one person and injuring at least 40 others.

Both Tokyo and Port Vila are on the active Pacific Rim of Fire.

A tsunami warning for waves of up to 50cm was issued for Japan's Ishikawa prefecture and public broadcaster NHK said small tsunami had already hit in some areas.

The quake registered a higher 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa, about 300km from Tokyo.

Tsunami warning after Pacific quakes - New Zealand, world, sport, business & entertainment news on Stuff.co.nz

[Grant]

Powerful aftershocks have struck the western coast of central Japan, a day after an earthquake killed one person and injured nearly 200 others.
Some of the aftershocks measured as much as 5.3 in magnitude and similar shocks were also felt in Vanuatu, which was also hit by earthquakes on Sunday. While the Pacific island suffered no damage, in Japan some buildings were affected, and water mains broken.

The Japanese government has pledged to help those affected by the quake.

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Japan suffers quake aftershocks