Earthquake of magnitude 6.0 strikes Coral Sea

Port Vila [Vanuatu], October 26 (ANI): A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck the Coral Sea in the early hours of Sunday, as reported by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).

In a post on X, the NCS stated, "EQ of M: 6.0, On: 26/10/2025 04:58:07 IST, Lat: 12.34 S, Long: 166.46 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Coral Sea."

The NCS further noted that the earthquake occurred approximately 632 km north-northwest (NNW) of Port Vila, Vanuatu.

As of now, there have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties following the quake. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation.

Shallow earthquakes are generally more dangerous than deep earthquakes. This is because the seismic waves from shallow earthquakes have a shorter distance to travel to the surface, resulting in stronger ground shaking and potentially more damage to structures, as well as greater casualties.

According to the US Seismological Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience (SAGE), the Solomon and Vanuatu Islands are subduction-related features caused by the subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate beneath the greater Pacific Plate. It is a seismically active area of frequent large earthquakes.

It noted that the earthquakes in this region are caused by the northeasterly movement of the Indo-Australian Plate as it dives beneath the Pacific Plate, but there are variations along the plate boundary.

According to SAGE, the Solomon and Vanuatu Islands occupy the centre of a region that is marked by a complicated arrangement of tectonic microplates crushed between the greater Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates. It is a seismically active area of frequent large earthquakes.

The Australian continent is moving northeast at a rate of Rs 6 cm/year with variation along the boundaries up to 13 cm/year. In the region of the Solomon and Vanuatu islands, the earthquakes are caused by the northeasterly movement of the Indo-Australian Plate as it dives beneath the Pacific Plate.

Previously, in 2024, the WHO noted how the 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Port Vila on 17 December 2024, claimed 14 lives, destroyed critical infrastructure, and displaced over 2000 people who needed to stay in evacuation centres or with host families for weeks after the earthquake. To this day, aftershocks are felt by the communities.

It highlighted how in Vanuatu, in partnership with WHO and UNICEF, the Ministry of Health used radio broadcasts, posters, and community outreach teams to get life-saving information into people's hands including those without internet connectivity. (ANI)

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