A strong earthquake has hit New Caledonia, but no damage has been reported and a tsunami alert was not issued.
The quake struck on Thursday evening and measured 6.7 on the Richter Scale.
It struck between Vanuatu and the Loyalty Islands about 397 kilometres to the northeast of the New Caledonian capital Noumea.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre says a destructive tsunami was not generated because, at 117 kilometres deep, the quake was located too deep inside the earth.
New Caledonia is often rattled by earthquakes as it lies in a zone of high seismic activity within the Pacific Ring of Fire, caused by friction between shifting tectonic plates.
