The quake briefly prompted a tsunami alert for parts of Vanuatu, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System, which is part of the National Weather Service. As of 2:14 p.m. local time, U.S. officials said the threat had passed.

"Make sure your family is safe," Vanuatu President Nikenike Vurobaravu said in an address on the country's national broadcaster's Facebook page. "Help each other during this hard time for the nation." Tourists who flock to Vanuatu for its lovely beaches found themselves scrambling to secure seats on military evacuation flights that several countries organized.