A very strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred in the Coral Sea 80 km (50 mi) from Vanuatu around noon of Friday, Mar 20, 2026 at 1.30 pm local time (GMT +11). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow. The quake was felt by many near the epicenter. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would. Significant magnitude 6.0 eart…
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On Friday, 20 March, an earthquake of a high magnitude occurred at around 1.30 p.m. between Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The earthquake, located 19 km deep, was felt in Nouméa and Lifou.