Magnitude 7.4 quake off Vanuatu prompts tusnami warning

WASHINGTON May 27 (Reuters) - A magnitude 7.4 quake off the southern Pacific Ocean island of Vanuatu prompted a tsunami warning for the nearby Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia, the Pacific Tsunami warning Center said on Thursday.

It said the quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.6, was 22.4 miles (36 km) deep and centered 133 miles (244 km) northwest of Santo in Vanuatu. It struck at 4:14 a.m. on Friday (1714 GMT on Thursday).

"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicenter within minutes to hours," the tsunami center said, adding that it was not yet clear whether a tsunami had actually been generated.

It said the warning was in effect for the region only and that it would not expand to other areas of the Pacific based on the information known so far.

(Reporting by Sandra Maler, Editing by Philip Barbara)