Powerful earthquake jolts South Pacific near Vanuatu

A powerful earthquake has been reported off the South Pacific island of Vanuatu at a depth of 41 km about (25 miles) with no immediate reports of damage. The magnitude 7.1 quake occurred 63km about (39 miles) south of the capital, Port-Vila, the US Geological Survey said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center ruled out a Pacific-wide tsunami, the (BBC) reported Sunday. Vanuatu, a chain of 80 islands with a population of a quarter of a million, is prone to quakes and tsunamis. Several powerful aftershocks later struck the same area, at least one with a magnitude of 7.0. The US Geological Survey earlier said the first quake was of a 7.5 magnitude. It is not clear what damage has been caused.