Port Vila: After several earthquakes and cyclones, the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu declared a state of emergency on Friday.

The initial 6.5-magnitude earthquake occurred at 1804 GMT at a depth of 10 kilometers off Espiritu Santo island in the north of the archipelago, according to the US Geological Survey.

Shortly afterwards, an aftershock with a magnitude of 5.4 shook the island. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center there was "no tsunami threat" from the initial earthquake.

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A state of emergency has been declared, according to government spokesman Joe Harry Karu, who also said Cyclone Kevin was wreaking havoc.

Pacific Red Cross spokesman Sonil Ram told AFP that there were no casualties so far. Locals were taking shelter when the quake struck on Friday as the cyclone's strong winds tore off roofs and uprooted trees.

Cyclone Judy had battered Vanuatu two days earlier with winds of 200 kilometers per hour (125 mph).

Torrential rain flooded roads in the island nation home to 320,000 people, and communications and electricity are still being affected.

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Dickinson Tavey, general secretary of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, issued a warning about the potential for serious damage. Tavy told AFP from the country's capital, Port Vila, that people on Espiritu Santo felt the quake, but strong winds prevented them from going out to assess the damage.

He told me that despite being woken up by the cyclone, he had trouble sleeping when the earthquake struck. He claimed that there was no electricity in some areas of Port Vila for two days.

"Once the winds calm down, we will assess the situation, but Cyclone Judy has already damaged many structures, so significant damage is expected," the statement said.

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Espiritu Santo in January caused minor damage but forced villagers to flee to higher ground.

Vanuatu regularly experiences seismic and volcanic activity because it is located in the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates are colliding.

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According to the annual World Risks Report, it is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters such as earthquakes, storm damage, floods and tsunamis.