7.7-magnitude earthquake in South Pacific briefly sparks tsunami warning

May 19 (UPI) -- Earthquake officials called off tsunami warnings in the South Pacific Friday afternoon after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake sparked concerns huge waves could affect islands there.

The powerful, but remote, earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands, belonging to the French territory of New Caledonia about 2 p.m. local time.

The quake prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to issue a warning stating that waves up to 10 feet could hit the island nation of Vanuatu.

Officials in Vanuatu urged its 300,000 residents to reach higher ground but the warning was later revised, saying waves would rise no higher than 3 feet. The island's meteorology said it recorded waves no higher than 2 feet above normal on Friday.

The National Emergency Management Agency in New Zealand said a tsunami advisory remained in effect late Friday, expressing concern over the potential to injure or drown people in the water.

Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency, however, said no tsunami threat was expected for the state.

The South Pacific is one of the world's most seismic regions because of the activity of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.