133 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake — a major event — struck near 133 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu on September 3, 2011, at a intermediate-depth depth of about 185 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; intermediate-depth events inside a subducting slab are often felt over a wide area but do less surface damage than shallow quakes. 14 people submitted "Did You Feel It?" shaking reports to the USGS. Casualties, damage and the recovery depend on local building standards, population and distance from the epicentre — the news coverage, references and photos below capture what happened on the ground.