Port Vila, Apr 29 (IANS): A magnitude 7 earthquake struck the north of the South Pacific island of Vanuatu on Friday.
The US Geological Survey located the epicentre of the quake at a shallow depth of 27.2 km and 1 km southwest of Norsup, a small population on Malekula island, EFE news reported.
The quake was registered 208 km northwest of Port Vila, the capital and the country's most populous city, located on Efate island.
Vanuatu is situated near the 'Pacific Ring of Fire' and submarine volcanoes of the northeast Lau Basin, where seismic activity is frequently observed.