Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits South Pacific

A shallow 7.4 earthquake struck off Vanuatu on Friday, seismologists said, sparking a tsunami warning across the region.

The quake at 04:14 am (1714 GMT Thursday) hit at a depth of 36 kilometres (22 miles), 214 kilometres north-west of Luganville, or 2,070 kilometres northeast of Brisbane, Australia, according to the US Geological Survey.

The United States issued a tsunami warning for areas of the South Pacific including the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.