In brief
A 6.1‑magnitude quake struck near Vanuatu at 10 km depth, with its epicenter recorded at 14.14° S, 165.91° E, according to GFZ. The event was first reported by Xinhua from Hong Kong. No immediate damage or aftershock information has been released.
On Sunday at 11:47 GMT, a 6.1‑magnitude earthquake struck the Vanuatu Islands, a report from the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences confirmed.
GFZ identified the quake’s focal depth as 10 km, placing the seismic epicenter at latitude 14.14° S and longitude 165.91° E, a position located in the South Pacific Ocean near Vanuatu.
The event was first documented by Xinhua, based in Hong Kong, which aired the report at 20:02 UTC on 1 November, matching GFZ’s northern hemisphere time reported at 11:47 GMT.
While the quake’s specific impact on the islands was not yet quantified, the GFZ data confirms the magnitude and details of the seismic activity.
Magnitude 6.1 earthquakes are often capable of producing noticeable shaking, though the 10 km depth typically reduces ground surface impact.
GFZ’s precise coordinate data places the epicenter within one degree of the Vanuatu archipelago, indicating that the seismic event occurred in proximity to the island group’s tectonic boundaries.
The time of occurrence, 11:47 GMT, corresponds to early evening local time across the archipelago, though localised damage reports remain pending.
Xinhua’s brief bulletin, citing GFZ inputs, highlighted the northern hemisphere time of the earthquake, noting the first official magnitude and depth readings.
No subsequent alerts or seismic event updates have been released by GFZ as of the latest bulletin.
Observers monitoring Vanuatu’s seismic activity are awaiting local authorities’ statements on any aftershocks or damage assessment.
