An earthquake of 6.9 magnitude jolted the Fiji Islands early Wednesday, triggering a tsunami warning and prompting several panicked citizens to evacuate to higher ground. Two aftershocks of magnitude over 5 were also reported.
The quake struck 284 km southwest of Fiji's capital city of Suva at a shallow depth of 15 km, the US Geological Survey said. The quake, which was originally recorded at a magnitude of 7.2, struck around 10:52 am local time. The magnitude was later downgraded to 6.9.
There were no reports of any damage to life and property.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that tsunami waves were possible within 299 km of the quake's epicenter.
"Government agencies responsible for threatened coastal areas should take action to inform and instruct any coastal populations at risk in accordance with their own evaluation procedures and the level of threat," the center said in its warning.
However, it cancelled the tsunami warning within an hour of issuing it adding that minor sea level fluctuations were still possible.
"Remain observant and exercise normal caution near the sea. Otherwise no action is required," the warning said.
Fiji's national disaster office had also issued a nationwide tsunami warning following the powerful underwater earthquake that resulted in widespread evacuations and traffic jams, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
"The earthquake caused a fair bit of panic. There are cars lined up trying to get to higher ground," Jovesa Saladoka, Fiji director of Oxfam, was quoted by the daily as saying.
Companies ordered buildings to be closed and employees to move towards higher ground in Suva. People were asked to evacuate the low-lying areas in parts of the Fiji coast, the Guardian reported. Otherwise, there was no real concern.
Juliette Sivertsen, a journalist and writer, told the Guardian: "I'm in Nadi and actually didn't feel anything. I'm coastal too – Wailoaloa Beach – but no sirens or any hint of an emergency here. A friend from NZ alerted me to the fact there's been an EQ. People carrying on as normal around here."
Resident Kelvin Anthony's office in Suva was evacuated but workers were allowed to return shortly after. "It was an hour 30 minutes of rush and then we are back in office. Sipping coffee. Eating cake. Hustling," Anthony tweeted.
It was an hour 30 minutes of rush and then we are back in office. Sipping coffee. Eating cake. Hustling. #fijiquake
— Kelvin Anthony (@keljnr) January 3, 2017
Sydney resident Dan Bennett was near the pool of his waterfront hotel in Suva at the time of the earthquake but did not feel any tremors. He was, however, told by the hotel staff to pack up and prepare to evacuate.
"Everything outside is pretty crazy – there's sirens going off and there's cops everywhere... I didn't feel the quake. I was just reading about it on Twitter and then sirens started going off," Bennett told the Australian Associated Press.
