Strong quake hits New Caledonia

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A strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake has struck the island group of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, the US Geological Survey has reported.

It hit 420km (260 miles) east of Noumea, the USGS said.

No warning of a tsunami was issued. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said local tidal waves could affect nearby coasts, but no damage was reported.

The quake was too deep to create a tsunami, an analyst at the French seismology bureau told AP news agency.