April 24 (Bloomberg) -- A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Vanuatu in the southwest Pacific Ocean at 12:19 p.m. local time today, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The temblor hit 78 kilometers (48 miles) southwest of Isangel in Vanuatu at a depth of 10 kilometers, the USGS said in an e-mailed alert. No tsunami warning was issued.

Vanuatu is a group of 83 islands located northeast of New Caledonia and northwest of Fiji. It is an international offshore financial center and a tourist destination.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Heath in Sydney at mheath1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 23, 2008 22:12 EDT