A strong 6.5 magnitude earthquake has struck off the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, the US Geological Survey says, but no tsunami warning has been issued.
The shallow quake hit 77 kilometres northwest of the nation's capital Port Vila at 1.48pm (1.48pm AEDT) at a depth of 26.6 kilometres, the USGS said.
There were no immediate reports of damage. Vanuatu is on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," which on Friday saw a 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami strike off the coast of Japan, causing devastation.
Earlier on Thursday a 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck the central region of Chile. There was no immediate report of injuries, local media reported.
Chileans are still jittery after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the country in February 2010. That quake and subsequent tsunami killed 524 people.
