<p>The first quake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck 294 kilometres northwest of the Vanuatu island of Santo, and 596 kilometres northwest of the capital of Port Vila, at a depth of 35 kilometres.<br /><br />Just 15 minutes later a second quake with a magnitude 7.3 hit at the same depth but 35 kilometres farther north of Santo and Port Vila.<br /><br />The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre immediately issued a regional tsunami warning for 11 nations and territories, including Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Fiji and Kiribati. A tsunami watch was in effect as far as Australia and New Zealand.<br /><br />There were no immediate reports of injury or damage from officials in Vanuatu, a chain of 83 islands, it lies just over 2,200 kilometres northeast of Sydney, Australia.<br /><br />"We have no damage reports yet, but we have had no contact with Santo so far," Vanuatu police spokesman Take Rakau told The Associated Press.<br /><br />While the quakes were not felt in Port Vila, he said Santo, with its capital of Luganville, "most likely could have felt them."</p>
<p>The first quake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck 294 kilometres northwest of the Vanuatu island of Santo, and 596 kilometres northwest of the capital of Port Vila, at a depth of 35 kilometres.<br /><br />Just 15 minutes later a second quake with a magnitude 7.3 hit at the same depth but 35 kilometres farther north of Santo and Port Vila.<br /><br />The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre immediately issued a regional tsunami warning for 11 nations and territories, including Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Fiji and Kiribati. A tsunami watch was in effect as far as Australia and New Zealand.<br /><br />There were no immediate reports of injury or damage from officials in Vanuatu, a chain of 83 islands, it lies just over 2,200 kilometres northeast of Sydney, Australia.<br /><br />"We have no damage reports yet, but we have had no contact with Santo so far," Vanuatu police spokesman Take Rakau told The Associated Press.<br /><br />While the quakes were not felt in Port Vila, he said Santo, with its capital of Luganville, "most likely could have felt them."</p>