# Magnitude 6.9 earthquake off Vanuatu prompts tsunami warning, later lifted

A second large tremor followed minutes later; the USGS revised the main quake from an initial 7.2 estimate, and no immediate damage was reported.

By The Signal Edition | News / World
Published: 2026-10-24T05:34:41Z
Updated: 2026-10-24T05:34:41Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/vanuatu-earthquake-tsunami-warning-11u6k5v
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/8af24044eefbf04037677860fd95e5fb.jpg (USGS ShakeMap showing the Oct. 24, 2026 magnitude 6.9 earthquake epicenter west of Port-Olry, Vanuatu; credit: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS))

## Summary
- The USGS reviewed the Oct. 24 offshore earthquake at magnitude 6.9, centered 197 km west-northwest of Port-Olry at 10 km depth.
- A second magnitude 6.3 quake followed about five minutes later, according to ABC News and AP.
- A tsunami warning was issued and later rescinded; NOAA’s warning center subsequently listed no warning, advisory, watch or threat in effect.

## Earthquake west of Vanuatu

A strong offshore earthquake near Vanuatu prompted a tsunami warning on Saturday, before authorities canceled the alert. The U.S. Geological Survey’s reviewed estimate puts the main shock at magnitude 6.9, centered about 197 kilometers west-northwest of Port-Olry at a depth of 10 kilometers. The quake struck at 02:31 UTC, around 1:31 p.m. local time. A second magnitude 6.3 tremor followed about five minutes later, according to ABC News and the Associated Press. [1](https://apnews.com/article/vanuatu-earthquake-tsunami-usgs-1981e7f790787aa44cfe7ee278e01864) [2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-24/two-large-earthquakes-strike-off-coast-of-vanuatu/107304900) [3](https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000u4j2)

The event produced different early magnitude reports as seismic agencies updated their calculations. Reuters initially reported the U.S. Geological Survey’s automated estimate of 7.2. ABC News later reported that the USGS had revised the main quake to 6.9, which is also the agency’s current reviewed event-page figure. The discrepancy reflects a developing measurement, not a separate earthquake: the 6.9 is the updated magnitude for the main shock, while the 6.3 was a distinct follow-on tremor. [2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-24/two-large-earthquakes-strike-off-coast-of-vanuatu/107304900) [3](https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000u4j2) [5](https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/magnitude-72-earthquake-strikes-waters-near-vanuatu-usgs-says-2026-10-24/)

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially warned that hazardous waves could affect coastlines within 300 kilometers of the epicenter, ABC reported. That warning was later rescinded. The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center’s subsequent bulletin states that no tsunami warning, advisory, watch or threat is in effect. The 300-kilometer zone was a precautionary forecast area, not confirmation that damaging waves had reached shore. AP reported that there were no immediate reports of damage. That is an initial assessment rather than a comprehensive account of conditions in communities across the island chain. [1](https://apnews.com/article/vanuatu-earthquake-tsunami-usgs-1981e7f790787aa44cfe7ee278e01864) [2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-24/two-large-earthquakes-strike-off-coast-of-vanuatu/107304900) [4](https://www.tsunami.gov/?p=PHEB%2F2026%2F10%2F24%2F26297000%2F1%2FWEHW42)

## Warning lifted as assessments continue

The earthquake was offshore, west-northwest of Port-Olry and roughly 200 kilometers west of Sola, as reported in the initial accounts. Its shallow depth of 10 kilometers and the nearby second large tremor made tsunami monitoring a central part of the response. Vanuatu’s location in an active seismic region means a large event can trigger precautionary alerts even when its eventual local impacts are still being assessed. The alert’s cancellation is an important update, but it should not be read as a guarantee that every island or coastal community experienced no shaking. [1](https://apnews.com/article/vanuatu-earthquake-tsunami-usgs-1981e7f790787aa44cfe7ee278e01864) [2](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-24/two-large-earthquakes-strike-off-coast-of-vanuatu/107304900) [3](https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000u4j2) [4](https://www.tsunami.gov/?p=PHEB%2F2026%2F10%2F24%2F26297000%2F1%2FWEHW42)

As of the latest reports reviewed for this story, the confirmed picture is a magnitude 6.9 main shock, a magnitude 6.3 tremor minutes afterward and a tsunami warning that was lifted. AP said no damage had been reported immediately after the quake; the available reporting did not establish a complete damage or casualty assessment. The USGS event page and tsunami center remain the authoritative places to check for updated seismic measurements and any renewed official alert. [1](https://apnews.com/article/vanuatu-earthquake-tsunami-usgs-1981e7f790787aa44cfe7ee278e01864) [3](https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000u4j2) [4](https://www.tsunami.gov/?p=PHEB%2F2026%2F10%2F24%2F26297000%2F1%2FWEHW42)

## Reporting sources
1. [The Associated Press: A preliminary magnitude 6.9 earthquake hits off the coast of Vanuatu](https://apnews.com/article/vanuatu-earthquake-tsunami-usgs-1981e7f790787aa44cfe7ee278e01864) (2026-10-24)
2. [ABC News Australia: Two large earthquakes off coast of Vanuatu prompt tsunami warning](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-24/two-large-earthquakes-strike-off-coast-of-vanuatu/107304900) (2026-10-24)
3. [U.S. Geological Survey: M 6.9 – 197 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu](https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000u4j2) (2026-10-24)
4. [U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers / NOAA: Hawaii Informational #1 – Vanuatu earthquake, no tsunami threat in effect](https://www.tsunami.gov/?p=PHEB%2F2026%2F10%2F24%2F26297000%2F1%2FWEHW42) (2026-10-24)
5. [Reuters: Magnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes waters near Vanuatu, USGS says](https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/magnitude-72-earthquake-strikes-waters-near-vanuatu-usgs-says-2026-10-24/) (2026-10-24)