Pacific tsunami warning cancelled after Vanuatu quakes (Extra)

Oct 8, 2009, 1:32 GMT

Sydney - The tsunami warning issued after two powerful earthquakes rocked the South Pacific near the Vanuatu archipelago has been cancelled, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said on Wednesday.

The warning was issued after a 7.8 magnitude quake followed by a 7.1 tremor near the Vanuatu archipelago forced residents across the region to flee to higher ground.

The centre reported some minor wave activity around Vanuatu, with waves of 3, 5 and 10 centimetres.

The alert had been issued for more than 30 countries and territories, including Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Nauru, Fiji, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Kiribati, Kosrae and Wallis and Futuna.

Just last week, a tsunami spawned by a major 8.3 quake killed at least 184 people in the Samoan islands and Tonga. A deadly 7.6- magnitude earthquake also hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra, destroying entire villages and buying people alive. The death toll is expected to exceed 1,000.

The Hawaii-based centre withdrew the early Thursday tsunami alert about two and a half hours after the first quake hit.

'When no major waves are observed for two hours after the estimated time of arrival or damaging waves have not occurred for at least two hours, then local authorities can assume the threat is passed,' the centre said.

But officials warned of danger to boats and coastal structures for another several hours 'due to rapid currents.'