WELLINGTON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- A tsunami warning was canceled two hours after it was issued following a spate of Pacific quakes Thursday.

    Pacific Tsunami Warning Center earlier issued a regional tsunami warning for much of the western and central Pacific, after a huge subsea quake struck near Vanuatu Thursday morning.

    The epicenter of the quake was 295 km north-northwest of Luganville in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu at a depth of 35 km, at 09:03 am Thursday Vanuatu local time (22:03 GMT Wednesday).

    Another quake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, struck the same region 15 minutes later.

    The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a regional tsunami warning and watch for parts of the Pacific after the quakes.

    The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami warning is in effect for Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Kiribati, Kosrae, Wallis-Futuna, and Howland Baker island.

    A tsunami watch is in effect for Marshall Islands, Tokelau, NewZealand, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Australia, Niue, Cook Islands, Chuuk, Kermadec Island, Pohnpei, Indonesia, Wake Island, Jarvis Island, Palmyra Island, Guam, Northern Marianas, Johnston Island, Yap, Marcus Island, and Palau.