Vanuatu: Magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurs in the Coral Sea, east of Torba Province at around 13:18 Oct. 17

A magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurred in the Coral Sea at around 13:18 Oct. 17. The epicenter was about 46 km (29 miles) east-southeast of Sola, Torba Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking probably occurred throughout Torba, Penama, Sanma, and northern Malampa provinces. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Aftershocks are possible 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.