SYDNEY
Strong Quake Hits Near New Caledonia
No tsunami alert was issued and residents in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, and in towns near Tadine said they felt nothing. 
Author
Reuters
Illustrative photo
TEXT
Published: January 19, 2009 08:35h
A strong earthquake of 6.6 magnitude struck 323 km (201 miles) east southeast of Tadine, Loyalty Islands, in New Caledonia, the U.S. Geological Survey said on Monday. The quake was 33 km (20.5 miles) deep.
No tsunami alert was issued and residents in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia, and in towns near Tadine said they felt nothing.
New Caledonia is made up of one long main island, surrounded by a 1,600km long coral reef, and a scattering of smaller islands. Its population is about 240,000.
New Caledonia is a French territory, lying some 1,800 km (1,100 miles) northeast of Australia and is on the Pacific Basin's so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines where quakes are frequent.
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