Small tsunami reported after quake off New Caledonia

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A powerful magnitude-7.1 undersea earthquake struck on Wednesday near New Caledonia in the South Pacific, creating small tsunami waves, but there have been no reports of damage, regional officials said.

The quake hit at a shallow depth of 27 kilometers about 372 kilometers east of the capital Noumea, the US Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said the tsunami threat had largely passed, although coming hours might see some movements in sea levels.

The biggest waves, just over 0.3-meter high, hit the main island of New Caledonia without consequence, said Olivier Ciry, the civil defense spokesman of the French Pacific territory.

"There was some movement of the sea but no damage to buildings, no injuries to people and it's over now," he said.

The PTWC had warned against the risk of waves between 30cm and one meter higher than tide levels striking islands around the Pacific and as far away as Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. But no waves of that size were recorded.

Wednesday's quake in the area situated on the earthquake-prone Pacific Rim of Fire came 10 days after a massive, but very deep, quake rocked the sea floor near Fiji and 11 months after big quakes hit near the Loyalty Islands, also without causing damage.

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Source(s): Reuters