An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 occurred this afternoon 103 km east of Luganville, Vanuatu, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
The quake hit at a shallow depth of 10 km beneath the epicenter near Luganville, Sanma Province, Vanuatu, early afternoon on Sunday 17 January 2021 at 2:38 pm local time.
The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 5.2 earthquake as well.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Luganville located 103 km from the epicenter, Norsup 105 km away, Lakatoro 106 km away, and Port-Olry 120 km away.