Quake of 6.7 magnitude hits near Vanuatu

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 8 (Reuters) A strong earthquake of 6.7 magnitude hit 50 miles (75 km) from the largest island of Vanuatu at 9:18 a.m.

local time today the US Geological Survey reported.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that there was no Pacific Ocean-wide tsunami threat, even with their higher initial reading of a 7.0 magnitude.

''However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a 100 kilometers (60 miles) of the earthquake epicenter,'' the Hawaii-based agency said in a bulletin.

The depth of the quake near the Pacific Island nation in a preliminary USGS report was nearly 150 km (93 miles). The quake was measured at 50 miles (80 km) from Luganville, Vanuatu's second largest town on the island of Espiritu Santo.

REUTERS DH RK0512