Vanuatu: Magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs near Erromango Island Jan. 19

A magnitude-5.0 earthquake occurred in the South Pacific Ocean off the northwest coast of Vanuatu's Erromango Island at around 19:49 Jan. 19. The epicenter was about 104 km (64 miles) north-northwest of Isangel. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 11 km (7 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of southern and central Vanuatu. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.