Pecific quake sparks tsunami alerts

A powerful earthquake has erupted in the South Pacific near the Vanuatu archipelago, triggering a regional tsunami alert.

The quake, between 7.8 and 8.1 in magnitude, struck at a depth of 35km early on Thursday, about 294km northwest of the Vanuatu island of Santo, and 596km northwest of the capital, Port Vila.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre immediately issued a tsunami warning for the region, including Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Many workers had evacuated their offices and were moving to higher ground, he said.

There were no immediate reports of injury or damage from officials in Vanuatu, a collection of nearly 200 islands.

Another quake struck south of the Philippines early on Thursday.

The US Geological Survey said the 6.7 magnitude temblor was located in the Celebes Sea, 280km southeast of Jolo in the southern Philippines.

There were no reports of damage or injuries from that quake either.

The latest eruptions and tsunami warning come just over a week after an 8.3 magnitude quake rocked the South Pacific near the Samoan islands, sparking tsunamis that killed at least 180 people and devastated coastal villages in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

A separate quake near the Indonesian city of Padang in west Sumatra, last Thursday, flattened thousands of buildings in the city and left hundreds dead.

Thousands remain missing and relief workers are battling to get aid to thousands made homeless.