7.3-magnitude quake strikes east of New Caledonia: USGS

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of New Caledonia Monday in the tectonically active Pacific region, the US Geological Survey said.

The tremor hit at a depth 25 kilometers (16 miles) some 85 kilometers to the east of the lightly populated Loyalty Islands, initial data from the survey said.

© Agence France-Presse