Powerful 7.2-magnitude quake strikes off Vanuatu

WASHINGTON, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck 135 miles (215 km) northwest of Vanuatu in the south Pacific, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said Thursday.

According to the U.S. agency, the quake took place at 4:14 a.m. on Friday local time (1714 GMT on Thursday) with a depth of 22.4 miles (36.1 km).

USGS initially reported the quake at 7.5 magnitude.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for areas of the South Pacific including the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia following the earthquake.

"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicenter within minutes to hours," the tsunami center said, adding that it was not yet clear whether a tsunami had actually been generated.

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