At 1909 GMT on Monday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported that a 5.1‑magnitude earthquake struck the southern Pacific off the Fiji Islands. The tremor, centered at 23.55° S latitude and 179.57° W longitude, was recorded at a depth of 557 km.
GFZ confirmed the magnitude and location in a statement issued via Xinhua. No further details were provided about the impact of the event, and no reports of damage or casualties have been released.
Other seismic monitors, including a Facebook post citing the US Geological Survey, reported a 5.3‑magnitude event near the same area at 00:46:59 GMT (approximately 10:46 pm local time on Tuesday). Those sources noted a depth of 538–550 km. These figures have not yet been independently corroborated, and the discrepancy between the two reported magnitudes remains unconfirmed.
VolcanoDiscovery.com reported a strong 5.3 earthquake 500 km (311 mi) from Fiji around noon (local time) on Monday. That source also tracked the event’s epicenter and depth but has not yet confirmed the magnitude through an independent agency.
To date, agencies worldwide are monitoring the region for aftershocks and potential effects on maritime navigation. The International Seismic Monitoring Network will likely update its databases as more data becomes available.
