Polynesian earthquake and tsunami warning prompts New Caledonians to scramble to higher ground

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake 300 kilometers off the coast of New Caledonia triggered a tsunami warning as locals ran for safety.

A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean 300 km southeast of New Caledonia on Friday, with coastal communities temporarily evacuated due to the risk of a tsunami, according to Civil Security.

The quake was detected around 2 pm local time (0300 GMT) at a depth of 37 kilometers off the coast of New Caledonia, according to the American Geophysical Institute (USGS).

The tremor was so strong that it immediately raised fears of a tsunami not only on the coast of New Caledonia, but also in some coastal areas of Vanuatu.

“The first waves reached Mare and Isle of Pines but did not exceed 50 centimetres. There is reason to believe that they will not exceed that,” said Colonel Frédéric Marchi-Lechia, New Caledonia’s Director of Civil Security.

Sirens sounded across the area while police and firefighters called for coast and beach evacuation in the early afternoon.

The Honolulu-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) had initially estimated that a tsunami was “possible” within a 1,000-kilometre radius of the epicenter, before raising the alert an hour later for New Caledonia and then the entire Pacific.

“Based on all available data, the risk of a tsunami associated with this earthquake has been excluded,” said a statement from the Public Authority for Child Welfare (PTWC).

Waves were observed one meter above the tide level in Linakil, Vanuatu, according to the same source.

Vanuatu authorities also called on residents to evacuate coastal areas less than 12 meters above sea level and 300 meters from the coastline.

Knee high waves

Anna Eric, who runs a beachfront hotel on Vanuatu’s Tanna island, told AFP that she and her children decided to move to a higher area after seeing unusually large waves crashing on a nearby beach.

She said the waves were knee-deep.

Benny Simo, a tour operator on the mysterious island of Vanuatu, reported receiving a text message from the government telling him to evacuate and move to higher ground.

He said the waves were rising “very high, but it’s not a big problem,” referring to a height of one to two meters.

“People do exactly what they’ve been told to do… They go up to the top until they’re told it’s safe to go down,” he said.

Wave of warnings to other Pacific countries

The council also warned of the potential for smaller waves, from 30 centimeters to one meter, in New Caledonia, Fiji, Kiribati and New Zealand.

Before the warning was lifted, Colonel Frédéric Marchi-Lechia urged the people to “get away from the sea and reach a high point”, then welcomed the population’s respect for the instructions.

Some residents in Noumea felt the earthquake strongly.

An unnamed Noumea resident told a radio station, “We were on the 14th floor. We were on the couch watching TV, finishing lunch and then I shook for a few seconds. It was really cool. We went down, everyone went down.” Nouvelle Caledonian Premiere.

“We didn’t think about it, we called those who were in the house, we went to get my sister-in-law and immediately we got to the heights,” said Ann Laurie, a resident of the Magenta neighborhood of Noumea. .

Noumea resident Barbara said she “doesn’t feel any particular concern” although she will avoid “going too close to the beaches”. She added, “We were all affected by the 2004 tsunami, so we shouldn’t take things lightly.”

A journalist in New Caledonia said he “felt a strong jolt for at least 15 to 20 seconds”.

The earthquake was also felt in Levu in the Loyalty Islands, a province of New Caledonia with a population of about 20,000.

Seismic activity is common in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates collide.

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