Vanuatu was hit by a 7 magnitude earthquake this morning. Image / USGS

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu on Sunday, the US Geological Survey reported, triggering a tsunami warning that was withdrawn hours later.

The quake was centered 23 kilometres from Port Olry and hit at a depth of 27 kilometres, the agency said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that a tsunami threat it had issued for nearby Vanuatu coasts has passed. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

“There is no tsunami threat to New Zealand following the M7.2 Vanuatu region earthquake,” NZ Civil Defence wrote on Facebook. “Based on current information, the initial assessment is that the earthquake is unlikely to have caused a tsunami that will pose a threat to New Zealand.”

Vanuatu is home to about 280,000 people and is prone to natural disasters, with a half-dozen active volcanoes as well as regular cyclones and earthquakes. It sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.

- AP