Major M7.3 earthquake hits near Luganville, Vanuatu
A major earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.3 hit near Luganville, Vanuatu at 08:44 UTC (19:44 LT) on March 30, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 115.8 km (72 miles). EMSC is reporting M7.3 at a depth of 116 km. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), there is no tsunami threat from this event.
Epicenter of M7.3 earthquake near Luganville, Vanuatu on March 30, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 35 km (22 miles) NE of Luganville (population 13 397), 288 km (179 miles) NNW of Port-Vila (population 35 901), Vanuatu, and 625 km (388 miles) N of Wé (population 10 375), New Caledonia.
128 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 55 000 moderate and 89 000 light.
Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake, PTWC reported at 08:51 UTC.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unknown/miscellaneous types and wood construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as tsunamis and landslides that might have contributed to losses.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M7.3 earthquake near Luganville, Vanuatu – USGS – March 30, 2026
2 M7.3 earthquake Vanuatu – EMSC – March 30, 2026
3 M7.3 earthquake Vanuatu – PTWC – March 30, 2026
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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