Shallow M5.8 earthquake hits offshore Vanuatu

An M5.8 earthquake was recorded at 04:12 UTC on October 24, 2026, approximately 203 km (126 miles) northwest of Port-Olry, Vanuatu. The event occurred at a shallow depth of 10.0 km (6.2 miles), as reported by the USGS.

The coordinates place the epicenter offshore, north of the main island chain of Vanuatu, in the South Pacific Ocean at 165.6°E, 13.9°S. The closest large settlement to the epicenter is Port-Olry, a coastal town in the northern section of Espiritu Santo Island, though the epicenter itself is far offshore.

Critical infrastructure potentially in the broader region may include coastal ports, small airports, and inter-island transportation routes serving the communities of northern Vanuatu, but the offshore location minimizes direct impact risk to these facilities.

There is no tsunami threat associated with this earthquake, based on its location and available data.

USGS issued a green alert for this event, indicating a low likelihood of casualties or damage. The maximum estimated intensity is 0, and no felt reports have been received. The significance index is 518 (on a scale that runs through 1 000), based on magnitude, felt reports, and estimated impact.

Vanuatu is located along the boundary between the Australian and Pacific Plates, a region known for frequent seismic activity and subduction-related earthquakes.

This information was last updated at 04:31 UTC on October 24, 2026.